News

“Hands Off Mkhwanazi”: MK Party Rallies in Johannesburg Over Police Corruption Claims

Published

2 months ago

July 14, 2025

Chiraag

MK Party 2025 march, Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi supporters, Gauteng protest action, MK movement South Africa, Johannesburg political demonstration, Mkhwanazi police claims, Abel Tau Gauteng MK, Union Buildings Friday protest, protest in Joburg, Joburg ETC

From the CBD to Pretoria, the streets are heating up over Mkhwanazi’s explosive stand, and the MK Party wants South Africans to choose a side.

Johannesburg’s city centre was filled with the sounds of war chants and old struggle songs on Monday as a few hundred members of the MK Party made it clear they are not backing down from their support of KwaZulu-Natal’s top cop, Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi.

In a week where police corruption allegations have dominated headlines, the MK Party turned public frustration into street-level action, urging citizens to “take a stand” and rally behind the commissioner.

Why is Mkhwanazi under fire?

Lieutenant General Mkhwanazi has caused a political storm after publicly accusing senior police officials of corruption. While details of the allegations are still emerging, the backlash has been swift, not from the public, but from within the police ranks themselves.

Mkhwanazi’s bold statements have won him both admiration and scrutiny. Many South Africans see him as a rare voice of integrity, willing to take on what’s widely seen as a deeply compromised system. But it’s also clear that his position within the SAPS has become increasingly precarious.

This is where the MK Party has stepped in.

MK Party: “This is not the time to sit on the fence”

In Johannesburg, roughly 300 supporters gathered on Monday in a show of force. The crowd was a mix of young loyalists in branded MK Party t-shirts and older veterans, some dressed in camouflage, marching together with a clear message: “Hands off Mkhwanazi.”

Gauteng spokesperson Abel Tau didn’t hold back. Speaking during the march, he framed this as a moment of national importance.

“If we don’t stand up as citizens now and put a clear marker between us and those who are against society, that opportunity may never come again,” Tau said.

He insisted that Mkhwanazi is being targeted for speaking out and that ordinary South Africans should see this as a broader fight between truth and the rot within institutions.

What happens next?

Monday’s march isn’t the end of the story. Tau confirmed that the MK Party is planning an even bigger demonstration this Friday, this time heading straight to the Union Buildings in Pretoria. Their goal? To take their frustrations and demands directly to the doorstep of national leadership.

Whether the protest momentum grows by Friday remains to be seen. But what’s clear is that the MK Party is attempting to galvanise public sentiment around an official many see as a symbol of resistance in a troubled system.

Public reaction: a nation divided

Social media has been flooded with reactions to Mkhwanazi’s statements and the MK Party’s stance. Some praise the commissioner for speaking truth to power. Others worry that politicising the police may backfire. A common thread, though, is frustration with crime, with government, and with the apparent lack of accountability at the top.

In a country where trust in law enforcement is fragile, Mkhwanazi’s stance, and the growing protest movement behind him, are reigniting old questions about power, loyalty, and who truly serves the public.