Under Fire, Senzo Mchunu Says He’s Ready to Tell His Side in Corruption Probe

Minister claims commitment to justice as SAPS corruption scandal rocks public trust

Making his first public appearance since being placed on special leave, embattled Police Minister Senzo Mchunu says he’s not hiding and is eager to finally have his say before the Judicial Commission of Inquiry investigating damning corruption claims.

The corruption allegations, raised by KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, implicate Mchunu in an alleged conspiracy to disband the political killings task team, a move that may have jeopardized over 120 high-priority investigations tied to deadly intra-political warfare in the province.

On Thursday, Mchunu appeared at the ANC Musa Dladla region’s Mandela Day celebration in Empangeni, where he pushed back against what he called a “one-sided” narrative playing out in public.

‘Justice can’t be a solo act’

“The day one person acts as accuser, investigator, prosecutor, and judge, that will be the death of justice in South Africa,” Mchunu warned, addressing journalists on the sidelines of the event.

He insisted that he has full respect for the law and believes in the right to reply: “We’ve heard one side, now it’s our turn. I am ready. Let the commission begin.”

Mchunu’s tone was calm but firm, underscoring a growing frustration among ANC circles over what some believe is a rush to judgment.

“I support the president’s decision. Everything has its own time and now it’s time to speak,” he said.

Inside the allegations

At the core of the controversy is an explosive claim by Mkhwanazi: that Mchunu, along with SAPS deputy commissioner Shadrack Sibiya and an alleged information dealer, conspired to dissolve the KwaZulu-Natal political killings task team in March 2025.

Mkhwanazi provided cellphone records, SAPS documents, and WhatsApp messages to support his case, claiming the disbandment stalled progress on politically sensitive dockets.

Mchunu, however, had argued in a December 2024 letter to SAPS Commissioner Fannie Masemola that the unit had “outlived its usefulness.”

The fallout was swift. President Cyril Ramaphosa placed both Mchunu and Sibiya on leave and announced the formation of a Judicial Commission of Inquiry.

Ramaphosa walks a tightrope

Faced with mounting political pressure, including opposition calls for Mchunu’s firing, Ramaphosa has stood firm — for now. Speaking during his budget vote this week, the president argued that punishing ministers based solely on unproven allegations would be a dangerous step backward for the country’s democratic values.

“Some say I should act immediately. But justice requires process,” Ramaphosa told Parliament.

Still, critics remain skeptical. Past commissions, including the Zondo Commission, have been accused of slow or toothless outcomes.

Ramaphosa disagrees: “Those who say our inquiries achieve nothing ignore the accountability they’ve already produced.”

A political powder keg

Meanwhile, protests have erupted in Pretoria. Supporters of the MK Party, civic group Defend South Africa, and others are marching on the Union Buildings, accusing Ramaphosa of shielding Mchunu and demanding both men resign.

The MK Party has even threatened legal action, calling Ramaphosa’s interim appointment of Prof. Firoz Cachalia as unconstitutional, since he is not a member of Parliament or Cabinet.

Though Cachalia will officially step into the role in August, Minister Gwede Mantashe has been named acting police minister in the interim, while retaining his mineral resources portfolio.

What’s at stake?

This scandal cuts to the heart of South Africa’s ongoing crisis around political violence, accountability, and trust in the justice system.

KwaZulu-Natal has long been a hotspot for political killings, many of which remain unsolved. The disbandment of a task team investigating those crimes raises urgent questions: Was it simply administrative housekeeping, or part of a darker cover-up?

For Mchunu, the stakes are clear. His political survival and legacy, now hinge on the outcome of a public inquiry he insists he welcomes.

“This isn’t just about me,” he said. “It’s about what kind of justice system we want in South Africa.”

And the nation, weary of scandal after scandal, waits to hear what comes next.

{Source: IOL}

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