The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) believes KwaZulu-Natal police boss Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi had stepped on the toes of politicians with links in the drug trade.
This, according to the red berets, has put Mkhwanazi in the firing line. Those who are against his crime-fighting crusade are gunning for his head.
IPID investigation
“The sudden concerns raised by the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) over the number of suspects killed in KZN are nothing more than a diversionary tactic designed to discredit a man who is fearlessly fighting crime in one of South Africa’s most violent provinces. This is a direct attack on a law enforcement leader. One who has made significant strides in dismantling criminal networks that have long operated with impunity.
“ KwaZulu-Natal has become a battleground. One where powerful political figures, corrupt businessmen, and organised crime syndicates thrive. In an ecosystem of drugs, money laundering, and racketeering,” the party said.
The EFF also stated that drug lords have infiltrated South Africa’s prison system. They are using officials and incarcerated criminals to maintain their operations.
Beneficiaries of crime are rattled
“Mkhwanazi’s crackdown on these networks has clearly rattled those benefiting from this system of corruption. This has led to a deliberate campaign to remove him from his position. [His] efforts to clean up the province have …exposed these illicit dealings … and also sent shockwaves through their ranks. The attempt to paint his leadership as problematic simply because he is taking aggressive action against crime is a desperate ploy to weaken the fight against lawlessness,” the EFF said.
In an unprecedented move, police watchdog the IPID announced it was investigating a possible defeat of end of justice charge against Mkhwanazi. The investigation stems from an anonymous complaint filed to IPID. The complaint accused the provincial top cop of attempting to shield a Department of Correctional Services prison head Nelly Ndlovu.
Source of complaint against Mkhwanazi
The complaint claimed Ndlovu was running a drug cartel inside prison. Mkhwanazi had allegedly interfered with the arrest of the said official after drugs were confiscated during a police raid. The raid took place at the Qalakabusha prison facility, north coast of KZN, a claim Mkhwanazi refutes.
The IPID investigation set tongues wagging after it earlier emerged that police minister Senzo Mchunu had called for the probe. In a dramatic twist, Mchunu denied involvement.
But EFF said there was a concerted effort to tarnish Mkhwanazi, hatched from senior political offices.
“The baseless allegations against Mkhwanazi regarding the arrest of former Westville Maximum Prison head, Nelly Ndlovu, on suspicion of running a drug cartel within the correctional facility, are nothing more than an attempt to smear his name.
Minister Mchunu
“It is telling that Police Minister Senzo Mchunu’s name has been linked to the complaint of interference against Mkhwanazi. This despite attempts to backtrack on this claim. Media reports exposed a letter dated 12 March 2025, signed by IPID’s acting national head of investigations. It explicitly stated that the complaint was lodged by the minister. Yet, in a predictable display of political manoeuvring, IPID has since claimed that the complaint actually came from an ‘anonymous source’,” the EFF said.
The party also said it was worrisome that Mchunu’s office failed to outright deny the allegations. They failed to do so when initially confronted, only to later issue a statement distancing him from the complaint.
“This raises serious suspicions about whether he is truly uninvolved. Mkhwanazi himself has confirmed that a close associate of Mchunu warned him about an internal effort to discredit him. This revelation, combined with IPID’s sudden reversal on the origin of the complaint, points to a well-organised effort to weaken his authority. This is a textbook example of how corrupt politicians protect criminal interests. This they do by eliminating those who threaten their power structures.”
Mass killings of suspects in KZN
Apart from the investigation, IPID has also registered its concern on the mass killings of suspects in KZN. It said this was uncalled for. For the 2023/24 financial year, 166 suspects had died in the province during gun battle with cops.
Mkhwanazi has vowed to rid the province of heinous crime. He is targeting drug cartels, extortionists and other gun-wielding thugs. His modus operandi in facing criminals head-on has received widespread admiration with communities. They are saying since Mkhwanazi took over the reins he has shown that he was a man on a mission.
