By Zukile Majova
- KwaZulu-Natal police boss Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi accused Police Minister Senzo Mchunu of shielding politicians behind killings and frustrating crime probes.
- Mchunu is Ramaphosa’s most senior ally in KZN, and firing him could weaken the president in his most hostile province.
Ramaphosa’s in deep trouble. His police minister has been called out for working with criminals.
The bombshell dropped on Sunday when KwaZulu-Natal’s top cop had enough. Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi stood up and accused Police Minister Senzo Mchunu of protecting politicians who order hits.
But it gets worse. Mkhwanazi says Mchunu is blocking murder investigations and having secret chats with drug cartels.
His claims sparked public outrage and demands for Ramaphosa to take action. But firing Mchunu could spark a political crisis within the African National Congress.
Mchunu, also known as Macingwana, is one of Ramaphosa’s last key allies in KwaZulu-Natal — the province where the president is weakest. Losing him could open the door for rivals to launch a campaign to remove Ramaphosa as ANC leader.
The stakes are high. In the recent elections, the ANC’s support in KwaZulu-Natal collapsed from over 50% to just 17%. Most of that support went to former president Jacob Zuma’s uMkhonto Wesizwe party, which now holds nearly half the seats in the province.
Ramaphosa came to power by defeating Zuma’s faction in 2017. He later forced Zuma out of office and sent him to jail for contempt of court.
Now Zuma and his allies are plotting a comeback, and Ramaphosa cannot afford to lose any more ground in the province.
That makes it risky to sack Mchunu — even though the allegations against him are shocking.
Instead, Ramaphosa may try to buy time by setting up a commission of inquiry into the police. Another option would be to shift Mchunu to a different ministry, like he did when he moved Thembi Simelane from Justice to Human Settlements after she was linked to the VBS bank scandal.
Some in the ANC, including secretary-general Fikile Mbalula, appear to be siding with Mchunu. Mbalula accused Mkhwanazi of breaking protocol and making South Africa look like a “banana republic”.
Mkhwanazi is not an ANC deployee and has no political backers. But many South Africans see him as a hero who has tackled gangsters, hitmen and political killers across KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng.
If Ramaphosa suspends him instead of the minister, it could trigger a national backlash. The timing is also sensitive — this month marks three years since the deadly July Riots, which left over 300 people dead and cost the country R50-billion.
The rot goes all the way to the top. Seven of the country’s most senior police officers have been arrested for stealing millions of rands. Lieutenant General Khumalo, who runs Crime Intelligence, was one of those nabbed. So was Major General Lushaba, the man in charge of the money. These aren’t street cops taking bribes – these are the bosses who are supposed to be fighting crime.
But it gets worse. The police wasted R22.8-million buying a dodgy building in Durban and blew another R22.7-million on a fancy hotel in Pretoria. The biggest shock is how Brigadier Mokwele got her job. She was made a top police officer earning nearly R1-million a year – even though she had never worked as a cop before. She used to work with computers at BMW, then suddenly became a police brigadier.
The corruption is everywhere. Four elite Hawks officers were just arrested for stealing R900,000 during a fake raid on a foreign exchange shop in Johannesburg. One detective was caught with drugs. Another cop is on bail for rape. One officer sold secret police files.
As police committee chair Ian Cameron said: “These people should not be wearing police uniforms.”
Pictured above: President Cyril Ramaphosa and Police Minister Senzo Mchunu.
Image source: GCIS
