Gauteng’s Top Cop Distances Himself from Explosive Political Interference Claims

While chaos brews in KZN, Lt-Gen Mthombeni insists Gauteng investigations remain untarnished

By all accounts, it’s been a stormy few weeks for South Africa’s law enforcement hierarchy. But in the eye of the storm, Gauteng’s provincial police commissioner, Lieutenant General Tommy Mthombeni, is trying to keep things calm and credible.

With the national spotlight fixed on explosive allegations made by his KwaZulu-Natal counterpart, Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, Mthombeni says he’s seen no sign of political meddling in his province’s investigations.

“I report to the Commissioner, not politicians,” Mthombeni stated firmly during a recent interview with Newzroom Afrika, just days after Mkhwanazi dropped a political bombshell accusing top police brass, including Police Minister Senzo Mchunu of obstructing sensitive investigations in KZN.

Mkhwanazi’s bombshell and the fallout

At the heart of the controversy is the disbanding of a KZN task team that, according to Mkhwanazi, had uncovered troubling links between a drug cartel and high-ranking politicians, prosecutors, and police officers. He alleges that 121 case dockets were abruptly removed from the team and quietly shelved at SAPS headquarters, a move he believes was designed to protect a well-connected syndicate.

Dressed in full Special Task Force gear and flanked by elite officers, Mkhwanazi described the situation as a “calculated move” to shield political interests. He went as far as calling Deputy National Commissioner for Crime Detection, Lt-Gen Shadrack Sibiya, a “criminal.” Both Sibiya and Mchunu have since been placed on leave.

The shockwaves have reached the presidency. In response, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced a high-level Commission of Inquiry, headed by outgoing Deputy Chief Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga, to investigate the web of alleged criminal protection within SAPS. The inquiry, set to run for six months, comes with a R147.9 million price tag.

Gauteng: a different picture?

hile all eyes are on KZN, Mthombeni wants Gauteng residents to know that things are different up north. Speaking from Alexandra township during an Operation Shanela crime sweep, he painted a picture of cooperation and national coordination, not chaos.

“In Gauteng, we work across provinces to tackle crime,” he said, citing recent joint efforts with the very same KZN task team that’s now under scrutiny. One of those joint operations led to major weapons seizures in Wynberg and Vereeniging, and more notably, progress in the murder investigation of popular artist DJ Sumbody.

The beloved amapiano DJ, real name Oupa John Sefoka, was gunned down in November 2022. On July 21, police arrested four suspects in connection with the murder, three alleged hitmen and one alleged mastermind. A firearm linked to the killing was tied to several other murders, according to SAPS.

No interference, but cautious optimism

Asked directly whether he had experienced any form of political interference, Mthombeni answered carefully:
“Not personally. I oversee crime investigations at a strategic level. I don’t do the actual investigating. If interference exists, it would likely come out during the inquiry.”

That’s not a denial of the broader systemic problem, but it’s a clear attempt to separate Gauteng SAPS from the turbulence unraveling in KZN.

Still, many South Africans remain sceptical. On social media, reactions have ranged from support for whistleblowers to open distrust of the SAPS leadership. “We salute Mkhwanazi for speaking out,” one user wrote on X (formerly Twitter), while others questioned whether any real accountability would follow.

Ramaphosa’s test: reform or reputation?

With Firoz Cachalia stepping in as acting police minister from 1 August, the department faces an important crossroads. The new Commission of Inquiry is a step toward transparency, but it’s also a gamble. If it reveals deeper rot, the pressure on Ramaphosa to overhaul SAPS could intensify.

Gauteng, for now, is trying to hold the line. But as investigations widen and political tides shift, Lt-Gen Mthombeni’s calm stance may soon be tested by the same winds of controversy swirling across provincial borders.

One thing is certain: the days of silent complicity in SAPS are numbered. Whether Mthombeni’s assurance holds depends on what the coming months reveal and whether South Africa’s police force can truly police itself.