Mkhwanazi Demands Answers: Why Was IPID Probe Against Me LaunchedThen Dropped?

In a bold challenge to the police watchdog, KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi is demanding that the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) explain why it launchedand then abruptly abandonedan investigation into him last year. Speaking exclusively to IOL, Mkhwanazi framed the episode as a questionable use of state resources that damaged his reputation, requiring answers before the ongoing Madlanga Commission.

At the heart of the controversy is a 2025 probe initiated by IPID. Mkhwanazi states that two IPID officials claimed the investigation was prompted by a complaint from then-Police Minister Senzo Mchunu. However, IPID later performed a U-turn, stating the complaint was anonymous before letting the matter go “cold and silent.”

“Those individuals must appear before the commission and explain why they signed a letter confirming they received a complaint about me from the minister,” Mkhwanazi said. He detailed how the acting head of IPID later flew to Durban to hand him an unsigned letter withdrawing the investigation, offering no further explanation. “My reputation was questioned, and since then, I have received no explanation.”

The Shadow of Paul O’Sullivan and a “Captured” Watchdog?

The IPID saga is tangled in wider allegations of external influence. Mkhwanazi has previously told the commission that controversial private forensic investigator Paul O’Sullivan “coordinated, planned, and controlled IPID operations from his home,” effectively capturing the watchdog. O’Sullivan, who is in a defamation battle with Mkhwanazi, has denied the allegations and refused to appear before the commission or Parliament’s ad hoc committee, citing fears for his safety.

Former IPID head Robert McBride admitted to consulting O’Sullivan but denied IPID was under his control. McBride has publicly branded Mkhwanazi untrustworthy and accused him of interfering in IPID probes.

Mkhwanazi remains unwavering, insisting O’Sullivan must be summoned. “He has a case to answer and must appear before those asking questions.”

A Preliminary Report and Unanswered Questions

While Mkhwanazi welcomed the Madlanga Commission’s preliminary reportwhich recommends criminal probes against 14 police officialshe noted he hasn’t seen it and declined to comment on Mchunu’s position. The former minister, suspended after Mkhwanazi’s allegations linked him to criminal syndicates, is not implicated in the initial findings, a point that has sparked criticism online.

Presidential spokesperson Vincent Magwenya clarified that Mchunu’s fate depends on his return to the commission and the inquiry’s finalisation.

For now, Mkhwanazi’s demand cuts to a core issue: the integrity and independence of the very body meant to hold police accountable. As the commission continues, the pressure is on IPID to step out of the shadows and explain a withdrawn investigation that, in the eyes of a top cop, looks less like oversight and more like political interference.

{Source: IOL}

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