South Africa’s Police Minister Senzo Mchunu is at the centre of a deepening political storm after being accused of ties to criminal gangs and interference in investigations into politically motivated murders.
The claims were made by KwaZulu-Natal’s police commissioner, Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, during a dramatic press briefing on Sunday. He alleged that Mchunu is being financially backed by a controversial businessman linked to a drug cartel, and accused the minister of dismantling an elite police task force that was closing in on powerful suspects.
Minister Mchunu has denied the “wild allegations,” while President Cyril Ramaphosa has described the matter as “a grave national security concern” and promised it is receiving “the highest priority attention.”
According to Gen Mkhwanazi, a task team set up in 2018 to investigate the rising wave of political assassinations in KwaZulu-Natal was making significant progress before it was abruptly disbanded earlier this year under orders from the minister.
Mchunu claimed at the time that the unit was not adding value, despite many politically linked murder cases remaining unsolved. However, Gen Mkhwanazi now says that decision was part of an orchestrated attempt to shut down investigations that had begun to implicate high-ranking individuals.
“The unit had uncovered connections between politicians, senior police officers, and businesspeople involved in drug trafficking,” Mkhwanazi said. “When it was dissolved, 121 case dockets were removed from the team without authorisation from the national police commissioner and transferred to the head office, where no further investigations have been done.”
He added that five of those cases already had warrants of arrest prepared, but none had moved forward since March.
The provincial police boss also claimed that a businessman, Vusimuzi Matlala who had a lucrative SAPS contract that was later cancelled had been funding Mchunu’s political activities.
Matlala was arrested in May for attempted murder. Gen Mkhwanazi said he has evidence of payments and text messages linking the businessman directly to the minister.
Meanwhile, national police commissioner General Fannie Masemola said he would respond to the allegations later in the week during the announcement of a new acting head for the crime intelligence division.
The position became vacant after crime intelligence boss Lt-Gen Dumisani Khumalo was arrested last month along with six others over charges related to fraud, corruption, and alleged abuse of intelligence funds within the South African Police Service (SAPS).
The scandal is likely to increase pressure on both the police minister and the ruling ANC, as concerns mount over the politicisation of law enforcement and the ability of the SAPS to address deeply rooted corruption and criminal syndicates.
Erizia Rubyjeana
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