KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Nhlanhla
Mkhwanazi and suspended police minister Senzo Mchunu. Photos: Delwyn Verasamy and GCIS
KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi doubled down on his allegations of corruption against suspended police minister Senzo Mchunu during the ad hoc committee hearings stating the minister had been “captured”.
“I believe that minister Mchunu was captured to end up writing that letter. But he doesn’t accept that, he owns [the letter]. He said he wrote the letter on his own iPad,” said Mkhwanazi.
This comes as President Cyril Ramaphosa distanced himself from Mchunu’s directive on Wednesday. While responding to the committee’s written questions, Ramaphosa is reported to have confirmed separate meetings with national police commissioner Fannie Masemola and Mchunu.
“I conveyed my dissatisfaction at not having been consulted prior to this decision being taken. I further indicated that, in my view, this was a decision for the national commissioner to make,” said Ramaphosa.
On Wednesday, the parliamentary committee investigating claims of corruption and criminality in the justice system concluded its oral evidence with Mkhwanazi. The latter responded to previous testimony where the accused police officials refuted his allegations made during the explosive 6 July media briefing.
Mkhwanazi presented a phone call recording between the acting deputy police commissioner, Hilda Senthumule and suspended deputy commissioner Shadrack Sibiya where the pair disparaged him and expressed support for the removal of the 121 dockets from the political killings task team disbanded by Mchunu.
Mchunu’s controversial letter was sent to the national commissioner via WhatsApp on 31 December 2024 ordering the immediate shut down of the task team – a directive senior police officials have said they were not consulted about.
Mchunu has defended this letter stating he was implementing a police research study recommending the consolidation of crime-fighting divisions within the SAPS murder and robbery unit. Mkhwanazi refuted Mchunu’s reasons.
“I understand they had tried to get the members under my command to collect those dockets. And those members said, ‘you are not taking anything unless the provincial commissioner tells us that’,” said Mkhwanazi.
He said Senthumule eventually orchestrated the transfer of the dockets to head office in Pretoria without his knowledge. Senthumule has denied allegations of corruption and previously told the committee the docket transfer was justified.
On Tuesday, Masemola told the committee Sibiya unilaterally pushed for the docket’s removal despite his disapproval. He said he advocated for a gradual winding down of operations instead of immediate disbandment.
During the last day of the committee’s witness testimony, Mkhwanazi repeated his allegations that corruption within crime intelligence was centred around SAPS counter-intelligence head Feroz Khan. He said the corruption took root during the tenure of former crime intelligence head Richard Mdluli.“If I was in charge, I would remove everyone in that section, starting with Khan,” said Mkhwanazi.
He told the committee that crime intelligence head Dumisani Khumalo and Khan had major disagreements, leading to a rocky working relationship. He alleged Khan does not have state security clearance while heading a counter-intelligence division.
“A police officer who joined the service in 1991, major-general Khan, was promoted overnight from a colonel to become major-general without the position being advertised and skipped the rank of brigadier. There was no justification for that,” Mkhwanazi said.
He said the crime intelligence division has always had corrupt individuals who knew politicians and demanded protection during disciplinary procedures.
“We know of how minister [Nathi] Mthethwa benefited with the wall he was building at his house by crime intelligence. We know the former president [Jacob Zuma] with the swimming pool at his house justified by crime intelligence that it is a fire pool,” said Mkhwanazi.
He clarified that although he had cleared Khan during a disciplinary hearing, he later learnt more about his corrupt dealings. He alleged Khan was responsible for concealing drug evidence confiscated from cartels.
“All that is happening nowadays, with information landing with honourable members from crime intelligence [it comes] from that office that still has General Khan in the mix,” said Mkhwanazi.
He said Khan shared sensitive information with Mchunu’s alleged middleman and police informant, Brown Mogotsi. Mchunu’s chief of staff, Cedrick Nkabinde, allegedly alerted Mkhwanazi about Khan’s intention to reach the minister.
“[Nkabinde] said Khan has been trying to get to the minister but he has not been allowed. But Khan found a way of using Mogotsi to get to the minister,” Mkhwanazi said.
He said the crime intelligence slush fund, allegedly costing R600 million annually, was central to corruption where funds intended for covert operations landed in personal bank accounts. “The abuse of the resources becomes easier simply because there are these [faceless] people that are being used. So, a member is going to claim money on behalf of … and that claim is paid but that payment might not go to the person who’s supposed to receive it because of that system of crime intelligence [where] they have to do things covertly.”
Mkhwanazi said Mchunu disbanded the task team at the behest of cartels and high-ranking police officials.
He said a prisoner letter tip-off revealing close contact between Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala and Mchunu and Witness E’s recording where the minister sought to influence his testimony at the Madlanga Commission, showed Mchunu’s attempts to shield individuals.
“It made me conclude that the minister is protecting people. He’s using justifications that do not exist. The CFO disputed it, everyone had disputed what he presented here as the reason for the letter. So, he then leaves me with one conclusion – he was assisting the Sibiyas who, in turn, are assisting the cartel squad,” said Mkhwanazi.
After deliberating on the evidence presented, the committee will table a report to the national assembly with recommendations.
Ramaphosa extended the Madlanga Commission’s second interim report to May with the full commission report expected in August.
This week the commission questioned police officer Fannie Nkosi [aka Witness D] about his role as middleman between Sibiya, Matlala, Ze Nxumalo and several taxi bosses.