President Cyril Ramaphosa has stepped into a growing dispute within the South African Police Service (SAPS), following serious allegations made by KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi against Police Minister Senzo Mchunu.
Ramaphosa calls for calm amid tensions within KZN SAPS hierarchy
Speaking from the BRICS Summit in Brazil, Ramaphosa described the situation as a “matter of grave national security concern.”
The president called on all individuals involved to exercise “discipline and restraint” and warned that the back-and-forth of accusations could damage public trust and the cohesion of the police force.
“All parties to this matter are called upon to exercise discipline and restraint. The trading of accusations and counter-accusations threatens to undermine public confidence and sow confusion,” the Presidency noted.
Ramaphosa confirmed that appropriate actions will be announced after he returns from the international summit in Rio de Janeiro.
The allegations Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi made against Senzo Mchunu
At a press briefing held on Sunday morning, General Mkhwanazi made a number of accusations. He claimed that Minister Mchunu ordered the disbandment of the SAPS political killings task team in KwaZulu-Natal, which he says was actively investigating a powerful criminal syndicate.
According to Mkhwanazi, the syndicate was linked to politicians, law enforcement, and businesspeople, and was allegedly behind a number of political murders.
Mkhwanazi said that in March 2025, 121 case dockets were removed from the task team by SAPS leadership on Mchunu’s instruction.
He claimed the minister’s interference followed a separate investigation in Gauteng, where ten officers from the KZN task team had been deployed.
That probe allegedly revealed ties between the criminal network and high-profile figures, including a man named Brown Mogotsi, said to be an associate of Mchunu.
Mkhwanazi further claimed there is evidence on the cellphone of businessman and accused tenderpreneur Vusimusi ‘Cat’ Matlala that shows communication between Mogotsi and Minister Mchunu.
He asserted that the disbandment of the task team served to shield powerful individuals from accountability.
Mchunu’s office reacts to Mkhwanazi’s damning allegations
In a strongly worded statement, the Ministry of Police rejected the allegations.
The statement said Mchunu was “shocked” by the claims and described them as “wild” and “baseless.” It noted that the minister was in Vryheid on political campaign duties when he was informed of the press briefing.
The Ministry stated that the allegations would be subjected to a “thorough and transparent investigation” and warned that General Mkhwanazi’s public statements could have legal consequences.
Deputy national commissioner Shadrack Sibiya also responded, saying he had only just become aware of the matter and would comment further once all the facts had been established.
Mchunu maintains that his decisions as minister were based on performance assessments and operational necessity, and not influenced by any personal relationships or attempts to obstruct justice