KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi says he called a media briefing on July 6 to inform the public about the challenges that the South African Police Services (SAPS) is facing.
Mkhwanazi was speaking on Wednesday at the official start of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Criminality, Political Interference and Corruption at the Bridgette Mabandla Justice College in Pretoria.
Retired Constitutional Court Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga chairs the commission of inquiry.
During his testimony on Wednesday, Mkhwanazi told evidence leader, advocate Mahlape Sello SC that he went public with his address to the nation because he wanted to talk about the challenges “we experience as members of the South African Police Services and political interference in the work that we do and corruption within the value chain of the justice system”.
Political killings task team
“My aim [with the July media briefing] was to demonstrate that the criminal justice system is subject to sabotage and continuous threat,” said Mkhwanazi.
“There is a real risk of total collapse [of the criminal justice system] if nothing is done. Urgent interventions are needed.
“I want to thank the media for the opportunity to share the information. The media briefing got the state president [Cyril Ramaphosa] to establish the commission. I appreciate it, and the commission will help us. I want to thank the general public as well.”
Mkhwanazi, who is the commission of inquiry’s first witness, said the bulk of his testimony will be about the work of the KwaZulu-Natal SAPS political killings task team and criminality, political interference, and corruption in the criminal justice system.
Advocate Mahlape Sello SC, one of the commission’s evidence leaders, is leading Mkhwanazi’s evidence.
During a media briefing on July 6, Mkhwanazi said he is in possession of WhatsApp communication between controversial Gauteng tenderpreneur Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala and a Brown Mogotsi, a comrade of Mchunu, allegedly discussing how Mogotsi is working to get Mchunu and deputy national police commissioner for crime detection, Lt-Gen Shadrack Sibiya, to interfere and suppress the police investigations into Matlala.
Proofs of payments
He said he has proofs of payment showing that Matlala funded the ANC political activities and events of Mchunu and Mogotsi.
Mkhwanazi added that he believes that Mchunu and Sibiya decided to disband the political killings task team in KwaZulu-Natal because it raided Matlala’s home in December 2024 and because it was making inroads in certain Gauteng cases.
Following Mkhwanazi’s explosive media briefing, Ramaphosa established a judicial commission of inquiry to investigate the allegations.
Both Mchunu and Sibiya were placed on special leave by Ramaphosa and General Fannie Masemola, the national police commissioner.
