Senzo Mchunu, the suspended Minister of Police who is also serving as a ANC member of parliament and the party’s national executive committee (NEC), is set to make his first public appearance since he was placed on special leave by President Cyril Ramaphosa on Sunday.
Ramaphosa took the decision after the KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, made allegations of political interference against Mchunu.
That prompted parties like the DA and Umkhonto Wesizwe Party (MK Party) to press criminal charges against Mchunu in Pretoria and Cape Town.
DA, MK Party laid charges
On Wednesday the DA revealed that it has been officially notified by the SAPS that Mchunu is now under criminal investigation. And his case has been allocated to a senior Lt Colonel to investigate it.
Despite all this, the ANC in the Musa Dladla region (King Cetshwayo district) in northern KwaZulu-Natal is not deterred. The region where Mchunu comes from as he has a home in the city of Empangeni, has since announced him as its guest for its Mandela Day activities on Friday at Dumisani Makhaye village in Ngwelezane.
In a poster, the party said the event would honour the legacy of Mandela. He was the first democratically elected president of South Africa.
“Let us honour the legacy of a visionary leader. Whose unwavering commitment to freedom, justice, and equality continues to inspire our fight for a democratic and inclusive South Africa.
Mchunu to be guest speaker
“We call on all comrades, community members, and supporters to come in numbers. To stand united in celebrating Nelson Mandela’s enduring spirit. And to reaffirm our collective resolve. A commitment to build a future rooted in liberation, development, and social justice,” reads the poster where Mchunu will be the guest.
On Tuesday, ANC secretary-general, Fikile Mbalula, was quoted by Sunday World on the matter. He said Mchunu’s special leave does not imply that he is guilty.
However, Mbalula described the allegations against Mchunu as deeply disturbing and far-reaching. And he said they go to the core of the integrity of the state.
