By Everson Luhanga and Zukile Majova
- Police boss Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi says Minister Senzo Mchunu meddled in murder probes and tried to shut down the Political Killings Task Team.
- The inquiry will also look into top officials across police, prosecutors and metro departments said to be working with a criminal syndicate.
Disgraced Police Minister Senzo Mchunu has survived after President Cyril Ramaphosa refused to submit to pressure to fire him.
Ramaphosa has placed Mchunu on special leave despite explosive claims that he interfered with murder investigations and worked with a criminal syndicate.
The president has appointed a commission of inquiry led by acting deputy chief justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga to investigate the claims. The commission will report back in three months and hand over its final report in six months.
Mchunu is accused of disbanding the KwaZulu-Natal Political Killings Task Team. KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi said the minister interfered with the work of the police and was linked to a murder suspect.
Mkhwanazi said his team and detectives from Gauteng uncovered a powerful syndicate run by a drug cartel. He said it involved politicians, police, metro police officers, prosecutors, correctional services and even judges.
The investigation led to the press conference that shocked the country last week, where Mkhwanazi openly named Mchunu.
At the time, Ramaphosa was in Brazil for the Brics Summit. He returned to address the matter on Sunday night.
“These allegations, if proven true, threaten to undermine the confidence of South Africans in the ability of the South African Police Service to protect them and to effectively fight crime and corruption,” Ramaphosa said.
He announced that the commission would also investigate whether members of the National Executive, including those in charge of the justice system, were involved in any wrongdoing.
The inquiry will also probe interference by current and former senior officials in the police, prosecution services, the judiciary, metro police, and intelligence agencies.
From August, Professor Firoz Cachalia will take over as acting minister of police. Another cabinet member will act in the role until the end of July.
Meanwhile, Ramaphosa and the ANC’s national working committee are due to meet at the party’s headquarters, Luthuli House, in Johannesburg to discuss the state of the country’s security and intelligence.
Reacting to the President’s address Ian Cameron Chairperson for police portfolio committee in Parliament said Police Capture is real and trust in SAPS is crumbling. “While another costly commission begins, no senior officials are suspended. Critics say urgency is missing, and South Africans can’t afford another talk shop like Zondo. Still, the appointment of Prof. Firoz Cachalia as acting Police Minister is a promising step.”
Minister of Defense Angie Motshekga has confirmed that the intelligence community was on high alert for possible public unrest.
As the most senior KZN politician in Ramaphosa’s inner circle, Mchunu gets to keep his job and will rely on the support of the ANC leaders to save his political career.
So highly rated is Mchunu in the Ramaphosa camp, that some lobbyists are already campaigning him to be the future deputy president of the ANC.
Pictured above President Cyril Ramaphosa
Image source: GCIS
