· Mchunu faces claims from KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi that he interfered in police operations linked to political killings.
· He says he is eager to clear his name and calls the commission a chance to finally share his version of events.
Suspended Police Minister Senzo Mchunu says he is more than ready to appear before the Madlanga Commission of Enquiry to respond to serious allegations made against him.
KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi accused Mchunu of interfering with police operations, including the disbandment of the Political Task Team that investigated political killings in the province.
Speaking at the Musa Dladla African National Congress Memorial Lecture in honour of struggle stalwarts Samuel Msweli and Mike Mthethwa, Mchunu said he welcomes the inquiry.
“I am very glad that I will finally present all the facts and give my side of the story,” said Mchunu. “To me, this is a great opportunity to explain myself.”
Saturday’s event marked Mchunu’s first public appearance since his suspension. The lecture honoured Msweli and Mthethwa, who were killed by apartheid police in kwaSokhulu, near Richards Bay, in 1992 after reportedly shooting down a police helicopter.
Earlier in the day, Mchunu also visited the family of the late South African ambassador to France, Nathi Mthethwa, in kwaMbonambi. He expressed his sadness over Mthethwa’s death, saying it was still difficult to accept.
He said he and the late ambassador had worked closely together when they led the Musa Dladla Region of the ANC, then known as the Northern Region, in the early 1990s.
Pictured above: Senzo Mchunu
Image source: Celani Sikhakhane
