Sandile Swana: Back Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi or Risk Losing SA to Criminal Mafia

The KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner’s shocking allegations have lit a fire under South Africa’s fragile democracy. Political analysts and party leaders are calling on citizens to choose a side.

When Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi stood up and spoke this week, he didn’t just shake the room, he rocked the country. His bold claims about a deeply embedded crime syndicate involving politicians, prosecutors, judges, and senior police officers weren’t just shocking, they were seismic.

And now, voices like political analyst Sandile Swana are warning: South Africa must rally behind Mkhwanazi or risk watching the nation slip deeper into the grip of political gangsters and organised crime.

The Line in the Sand

Speaking to Newzroom Afrika, Swana described Mkhwanazi’s actions as nothing short of patriotic. “This is the first step to raising the popular masses of South Africa to reclaim the country from the criminal mafia,” he said.

Mkhwanazi, the current KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner, claimed that ongoing investigations have unearthed a criminal network that not only operates within state structures, but is protected by them, allegedly involving Police Minister Senzo Mchunu, Deputy National Police Commissioner Lt-Gen Shadrack Sibiya, and other senior figures.

Swana didn’t hold back, saying Mkhwanazi’s move could be a turning point. “He needs the support of all patriots, without hesitation. People must be ready to sacrifice, even die to confront the criminal mafia that has captured the state.”

Ramaphosa: Calm Down, But We’re Watching

President Cyril Ramaphosa, currently back from a working visit to Brazil, called the situation a “serious national security concern”, adding that the allegations are receiving “the highest priority attention.”

In a statement, Ramaphosa urged everyone involved to exercise “discipline and restraint,” warning that the “trading of accusations and counter-accusations” could erode public confidence and destabilise the already fragile security services.

But many aren’t buying the wait-and-see approach.

DA’s Steenhuisen: Mkhwanazi Deserves a Platform, Not Silence

Democratic Alliance leader John Steenhuisen struck a different tone. Speaking to IOL, he said Ramaphosa must act with urgency, especially since he was quick to fire DA deputy trade minister Andrew Whitfield over an unauthorised trip.

“If that’s the standard, then these allegations from Mkhwanazi should at least prompt a full parliamentary inquiry,” Steenhuisen said. “Let him come to Parliament and lay out the case. Investigate this thoroughly.”

Steenhuisen, who lives in KwaZulu-Natal, also vouched for Mkhwanazi’s integrity. “He’s not someone who makes wild allegations. I was completely shocked. I’ve known him for many years. These allegations must be taken very seriously.”

A High-Stakes Reckoning

This isn’t the first time South Africans have heard whispers of state capture 2.0, but it’s possibly the loudest, clearest alarm bell yet.

Mkhwanazi, long known for his steady leadership in a volatile province, has now positioned himself as either a whistleblowing hero or a man placing a target on his back. Either way, analysts like Swana say the public must not let him stand alone.

And while Ramaphosa urges caution, critics argue that time is running out. The longer silence stretches, the more the public starts to wonder who’s protecting whom.

Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi has exposed what could be one of South Africa’s most dangerous truths, that crime, politics, and power are now tangled in ways that threaten the future of the state. Analysts and opposition leaders are clear: this is a moment for the public to stand up and choose a side.

{Source: IOL}

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