Mkhwanazi's briefing was a masterclass in handling the media

Message is clear: the gloves are off

- Themba Sepotokele

I was sipping a cup of tea last Sunday when, like many South Africans, with my eyes glued to the small screen when KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, flanked by members of the Police Tactical Unit, armed to the teeth, dropped the bombs.

Clad in combat gear, though not for the first time, Mkhwanazi made explosive allegations, and his words matched his regalia. Attended by senior members of the SAPS, at face value, one would have mistaken the press conference for an army announcing a coup d'état, as is often the case in other African countries when the military takes over.

At first, I thought I was watching Al Jazeera, the Qatari-owned television channel known to cover stories from the belly of the beast.

Mkhwanazi ventured where angels fear to tread, accusing politicians, notably police minister Senzo Mchunu, deputy police commissioner and former head of the Hawks in Gauteng Gen Shadrack Sibiya, prosecutors and traffic officers of corruption.