Commisioner hailed as ‘a beacon of hope’ amid corruption claims

KWAZULU-NATAL Provincial Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi has become the face of a growing anti-corruption movement after alleging that senior politicians and police leaders are entangled in a syndicate that obstructs justice in South Africa.

- MANDILAKHE TSHWETE

His accusations levelled at Police Minister Senzo Mchunu and Deputy National Commissioner Shadrack Sibiya during a bombshell media briefing on July 6 have reverberated across the country, triggering widespread political fallout and igniting unprecedented grassroots support.

Mkhwanazi claimed the minister and the deputy commissioner had deliberately disbanded the political killings task team in KwaZulu-Natal and ordered the concealment of sensitive case dockets implicating high-ranking figures in government, law enforcement, and the judiciary.

“The dockets were locked away, the unit was disbanded, and officers were targeted. This was not the work of the national commissioner. This was orchestrated by Minister Mchunu,” Mkhwanazi said.

The allegations have shaken public trust in government, but also rallied support for Mkhwanazi as a principled figure within the embattled SAPS.