PRETORIA - KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi made startling allegations during his three-day testimony at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry.
Over three days, Mkhwanazi detailed the establishment and controversial dismantling of the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT), accused senior politicians of interfering with police work, and warned that South Africa’s criminal justice system is on the brink of collapse.
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On Wednesday, he traced the PKTT’s origins to 2011, when political killings surged in KwaZulu-Natal.
The province has always suffered considerable political violence, which “dates back to the days before democratic South Africa”.
Mkhwanazi then shifted his focus to Police Minister Senzo Mchunu’s order to disband the PKTT, which he said was unlawful.
Mkhwanazi insisted the minister acted without a proper briefing, and that he misjudged the task team’s value.
Furthermore, he hinted that outside influence may have shaped Mchunu's decision.
Mkhwanazi defended his explosive July press briefing which precipitated the Madlanga Commission, saying it was his duty to inform the public about the problems within the SAPS.
Thursday’s testimony encompassed the 121 PKTT dockets handed to suspended Deputy National Commissioner for Crime Detection Shadrack Sibiya. Mkhwanazi revealed that five of those dockets carried instructions for arrests, yet no action was taken.
He criticised the National Prosecuting Authority’s handling of cases, noting an instance in which an alleged hitman was granted bail and went on to commit further crimes.
Mkhwanazi also took the commission back to 2019, when then-Police Minister Bheki Cele wrote to National Director of Public Prosecutions Shamila Batohi about political killings which were rife in KwaZulu-Natal. In the letter, Cele drew conclusions that the killings were carried out by hitmen, allegedly on the orders of high-ranking figures. He warned that members of the criminal justice system were susceptible to bribery from politicians and businesspeople.
By the end of the afternoon, Mkhwanazi had begun naming names.
He blasted the deputy chief of Ekurhuleni Metro Police, whom he accused of facilitating the registration of vehicles for alleged crime boss Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala.
He also named two Members of Parliament who allegedly interfered in police operations and compromised Crime Intelligence.
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National Coloured Congress leader Fadiel Adams allegedly recklessly handled sensitive information, while the DA’s Dianne Kohler Barnard allegedly leaked classified information for political gain.
Both Adams and Kohler Barnard have rejected these accusations.
On Friday, testimony turned to executive interference.
Mkhwanazi described how the Presidency allegedly stepped in to protect mining giant Richards Bay Minerals.
He also detailed his contact with controversial North West businessman Brown Mogotsi, an alleged associate of Mchunu.
He also blasted attempts to disrupt Gauteng Crime Intelligence operations meant at dismantling drug syndicates.
At the centre of this allegation is Gauteng Crime Intelligence head Dumisani Khumalo, who was arrested in June for fraud and corruption relating to the appointment of an unqualified civilian in a senior SAPS post.