Former chairperson of parliament’s standing committee on public accounts (Scopa) and leader of the African People’s Convention (APC), Themba Godi, has broken his silence on the bombshell dropped by KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi.
Speaking to Sunday World on Monday, Godi said he too once encountered complex criminal syndicates operating deep within the South African Police Service (SAPS).
For this reason, he commended Mkhwanazi’s decision to go public, calling it a “patriotic act of defiance” in the face of powerful enemies who operate under the guise of law and order.
“The APC is encouraged by the bravery Mkhwanazi has displayed. Personally, I also interacted with General Mkhwanazi in my time as Scopa chair,” he recalled.
“He was always a disciplined and principled officer. For him to speak out like this shows two things: he’s deeply frustrated, and he still believes in serving this country with honesty — even if it costs him everything.”
Politically sensitive investigations
Mkhwanazi shocked the nation during his dramatic press briefing on Sunday, accusing Police Minister Senzo Mchunu and deputy police commissioner for crime detection Lieutenant-General Shadrack Sibiya of interfering with politically sensitive investigations.
He revealed that the political killings task team had seized 121 dockets, signalling the presence of a well-established criminal network involving politicians, police, businesspeople, and drug lords.
The allegations resonate with Godi’s experiences in parliament, where attempts to combat corruption within the SAPS frequently encountered resistance and political manoeuvring.
“When I chaired Scopa, we came across troubling patterns — contracts manipulated, financial records doctored, and networks of protection that ran through SAPS like veins of rot,” Godi said.
“There were honest officers — men and women who stood tall — but they were outnumbered and often outgunned by corruption disguised in blue uniforms and political power.”
Call for commission of inquiry
The APC is now calling for a judicial commission of inquiry into the allegations, particularly the claims that Mchunu may have misled parliament and protected individuals with criminal ties.
“If true, that’s not just a breach of protocol. That’s a betrayal of the Republic,” said Godi. “We cannot let parliament become a playground for cartels.”
Godi also warned that the SAPS risks total moral collapse unless citizens rally behind the honest officers still fighting to keep communities safe.
“There are men and women in blue who still believe in the badge. But they need the country to believe in them too — because the enemy wears suits, not ski masks.”
While President Cyril Ramaphosa has labelled Mkhwanazi’s claims a “grave national security concern”, national police commissioner General Fannie Masemola has yet to address the nation — a silence that has only amplified suspicion.
“General Masemola must rise to the occasion. The truth doesn’t fear microphones,” Godi said.
As South Africa watches with bated breath, the former Scopa chair issued a warning: “This isn’t just about one cop in KwaZulu-Natal; it’s about whether the SAPS belongs to the constitution — or to the highest bidder.”
