By Palesa Matlala
• The Independent Directorate Against Corruption dismissed claims that it prepared a J50 arrest warrant for Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi.
• Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi recently accused senior police leaders and politicians of corruption and interference within the South African Police Service.
The Independent Directorate Against Corruption has denied rumours that it issued a J50 arrest warrant for KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi.
The claims spread on social media and alleged that the corruption fighting unit was preparing to arrest Mkhwanazi.
However, the alleged charges against him were never made clear.
The Independent Directorate Against Corruption, known as IDAC, said the rumours were false.
IDAC spokesperson Henry Mamothame said the organisation was concerned about the misinformation circulating online.
“This information is false and dismissed with the contempt it deserves,” said Mamothame.
He said the rumours appeared to be aimed at disrupting the work of both IDAC and Mkhwanazi.
“These rumours are clearly started to disrupt and distract the work of IDAC, as well as the responsibilities that Gen Mkhwanazi is discharging in the fight against crime,” he said.
Mamothame urged South Africans to be careful about false information shared on social media platforms.
“Members of society are urged to be vigilant against false information circulated on social media platforms, aimed at destabilising and discrediting law enforcement in the country,” he said.
Mkhwanazi is known for making explosive claims about corruption and criminal activity within the police service.
On 6 July 2025, he held a media briefing where he accused senior police officials and politicians of corruption, political interference and institutional capture within the South African Police Service.
During the briefing, Mkhwanazi implicated police minister Senzo Mchunu, who is currently on special leave, and suspended deputy national commissioner for crime detection Lieutenant General Shadrack Sibiya.
Mkhwanazi has repeatedly claimed that Mchunu was influenced to sign the December 2024 letter disbanding the Political Killings Task Team.
President Cyril Ramaphosa later said he did not approve the disbandment of the task team and was unhappy that he had not been consulted.
In written responses to Parliament’s ad hoc committee investigating Mkhwanazi’s allegations, Ramaphosa said the decision was made by Mchunu and should have fallen under the authority of suspended national police commissioner General Fannie Masemola.
Ramaphosa said Masemola informed him around 1 February 2025 that Mchunu had instructed the unit to be disbanded.
According to Ramaphosa, Masemola also disagreed with the decision.
Mkhwanazi joined the South African Police Service in 1993 as a student constable at the age of 20.
He later became head of the Special Task Force in 2005 and was appointed acting national police commissioner in 2011 by former president Jacob Zuma after Bheki Cele was suspended.
In December 2018, Cele appointed Mkhwanazi as KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner, a position he still holds.
Although his contract expired on 30 March 2026, suspended national police commissioner Masemola later extended it for another five years.
Image Caption: KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi.
Picture: File
