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From Bombshells to Backlash: How Mkhwanazi’s Allegations Lit a Political Fuse in SAPS

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2 months ago

July 8, 2025

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The fallout from KZN’s top cop accusing the police minister and senior brass of criminal interference is growing louder and more dangerous

When Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, the commanding officer of SAPS in KwaZulu-Natal, stepped in front of cameras clad in Special Task Force camouflage gear, few expected what came next: explosive allegations that would grip the country, shake political circles, and send shockwaves through the very institution meant to protect us.

In his dramatic Sunday media briefing, Mkhwanazi took direct aim at Police Minister Senzo Mchunu, accusing him of interfering in police operations and shielding organised crime. Alongside Mchunu, Deputy National Police Commissioner for Crime Detection, Lt-Gen Shadrack Sibiya, and Mchunu’s close associate Brown Mogotsi were named as key actors in what Mkhwanazi described as a covert effort to sabotage investigations into political killings.

What followed was a political firestorm, one that shows no signs of cooling down.

The Allegations: Interference, Task Teams, and Drug Cartels

Mkhwanazi claims that Mchunu personally instructed the disbandment of a key task team investigating political assassinations, which had made strides in both KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng. He suggested this decision had nothing to do with resource allocation and everything to do with protecting syndicates linked to political and underworld figures.

He went even further: accusing Mchunu of using his ministerial powers to shield a Gauteng suspect charged with three attempted murders, and linking the task team’s dismantling to the exposure of a Gauteng-based drug cartel.

Mchunu Hits Back: ‘Baseless and Without Evidence’

Minister Mchunu, who took over from Bheki Cele as police minister in June 2024, has flatly denied the accusations, calling them “baseless and without evidence.” He suggested that Mkhwanazi’s claims are politically motivated, perhaps even designed to sabotage his growing political aspirations.

Observers say that Mkhwanazi’s timing was no coincidence, just as Mchunu’s campaign to raise his political profile was gaining traction, the rug was pulled from under him. And while the allegations remain untested, the damage to Mchunu’s credibility may already be done.

Sibiya Responds: ‘He Must Stop Acting Like a Warlord’

If anyone thought SAPS leadership would close ranks, Sibiya’s response made it clear that the gloves are off.

In a sharp rebuke on national television, Sibiya accused Mkhwanazi of behaving “like a criminal” and “a warlord.” His words, full of fury, were aimed at a fellow officer, the kind of public infighting unheard of in SAPS.

“He must stop threatening people. He must behave like a disciplined police officer,” Sibiya told the SABC.

Public and Political Reaction: Time for an Inquiry?

As the dust settled, political parties from across the spectrum weighed in, many calling for a full and independent investigation into Mkhwanazi’s claims.

The MK Party, which has positioned itself as an anti-establishment force, said the claims speak to the “rot in the state’s security organs.”
The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) called the situation a “national security threat” and demanded President Ramaphosa intervene.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) added that if Mkhwanazi’s claims are true, they represent the collapse of the rule of law at the highest level of SAPS.

While SAPS issued a short statement after the media briefing, saying National Commissioner Fannie Masemola would address the media soon, no date has been set and silence is fast becoming its own kind of statement.

Cracks in the State Security Wall

The most worrying part of this saga isn’t just who’s accused, or how sharp the insults have become, it’s what this moment reveals about the state of SAPS.

In an organisation already under pressure from rising violent crime, lack of resources, and public mistrust, this very public implosion of leadership threatens to destabilise policing where it matters most: at the top.

For communities ravaged by political assassinations, drug violence, and slow justice, the picture painted by Mkhwanazi’s allegations isn’t new, just finally spoken aloud by someone with a badge.