KZN Top Cop Mkhwanazi Accuses Police Minister of Interference, Links to Criminal Syndicates

KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner, Lt. Gen. Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, has rocked the country with explosive claims made during a live media briefing on Sunday, making serious allegations against Police Minister Senzo Mchunu and Deputy National Commissioner Lieutenant General Shadrack Sibiya.

Mkhwanazi accused the minister of meddling in high-profile cases and claimed that Mchunu had an ulterior motive in disbanding the police’s specialist political killings task team.

According to Mkhwanazi, the task team had uncovered a criminal syndicate allegedly involving senior figures in Parliament, SAPS, metro police, and correctional services. The unit had also reportedly made strong progress in solving a string of unresolved murder cases, including those of popular musicians in Gauteng.

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Mkhwanazi said police had secured firearms linked to these killings but that no action was taken, suggesting interference at the highest levels. He went further, alleging that Mchunu and other senior politicians have connections to the criminal underworld and corrupt officers within the police force.

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“While we fight criminals on the streets, we must also stay alert to the fact that some among us are working with the criminals,” Mkhwanazi stated.

In a bold declaration, he said: “As a hardened policeman, I am prepared to lay down my life for my police badge if that is what it takes to expose the truth and fight crime.”

He emphasised that dismantling drug cartels and organised crime networks is crucial to addressing South Africa’s crime crisis, claiming that these networks are the true drivers of violent crime in the country.

In response, Shadrack Sibiya, Deputy National Commissioner for Crime Detection – who was also named by Mkhwanazi – denied the allegations in an interview with SABC:
“I am not a criminal. I’ve been in the police service for 37 years; I do my job, and people in all provinces know me. I’ve served the people of South Africa.”