Civil Society Calls for Strength and Truth as Mkhwanazi Prepares for Madlanga Inquiry
A civil group has called on South Africans from all walks of life—faith groups, community leaders, civil society, and individuals—to pray for KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi as he prepares to appear before the Madlanga Commission and a parliamentary inquiry.
The Activists and Citizens Forum issued a heartfelt plea ahead of Mkhwanazi’s testimony, urging citizens to pray for his strength, courage, and wisdom. Their statement emphasised the importance of this moment, with Mkhwanazi set to share explosive allegations involving high-ranking police figures and political interference.
The forum’s spokesperson, Dennis Bloem, did not shy away from political commentary. “We also want to reiterate our call for President Cyril Ramaphosa to resign immediately. He is not fit to be a president. He is a president who runs this country through commissions. President Ramaphosa is a spineless leader,” Bloem said. He criticised the current system, accusing these commissions of wasting taxpayer money without delivering meaningful outcomes. “The country is sick and tired of commissions that waste taxpayers' money… We know these commissions are toothless and are also delaying tactics of President Ramaphosa.”
These developments come after Mkhwanazi’s public revelations on 6 July 2025. In a widely covered press conference, he accused then Police Minister Senzo Mchunu of interfering with investigations into political killings. Mkhwanazi alleged that Mchunu disbanded the political killings task team, diverted 121 criminal case files to Deputy Commissioner Lieutenant-General Shadrack Sibiya, and even accepted financial support from businessman Vusimusi "Cat" Matlala, who is facing murder allegations himself. The allegations rattled the political landscape, prompting Ramaphosa to place Mchunu on special leave and appoint Professor Firoz Cachalia as the new Police Minister, in addition to launching the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry.
The Madlanga Commission, chaired by retired Constitutional Court Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga, alongside a parliamentary ad-hoc committee, will formally investigate these explosive allegations. Mkhwanazi is scheduled to begin consultations on the matter on Friday, 12 September, with his public testimony expected to follow on 17 September, slated to stretch over five days.
As this inquiry unfolds, civil society voices like those of the Activists and Citizens Forum are stepping into the spotlight—urging support and transparency during what they view as a pivotal moment in South Africa’s security and political landscape.
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