Des Erasmus
KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner, Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, told the Madlanga Commission on Wednesday that he made his explosive July statements – which led to the establishment of the commission – because he, and his professional peers, believed the South African criminal justice system was “at real risk of collapse”.
The briefing had been a “collective effort”, he told the commission.
On 6 July, Mkhwanazi delivered a bombshell media briefing where he alleged that South Africa’s law enforcement and intelligence services had been infiltrated by a powerful criminal syndicate.
He claimed a major drug cartel was operating with political protection and ties to the judiciary, prosecutors, and senior politicians, allowing it to act with impunity.
Mkhwanazi directly accused then-police minister Senzo Mchunu of political interference, alleging that Mchunu colluded with criminal elements to disband KwaZulu-Natal’s specialised political killings task team.
That unit, established in 2018, had been central to investigating political assassinations in both KZN and Gauteng, and its closure, Mkhwanazi said at the time, fatally weakened the state’s ability to tackle politically motivated murders.
His allegations ignited a political storm, leading President Cyril Ramaphosa to announce the judicial commission of inquiry a week later, and placing Mchunu on special leave.
On Wednesday, Mkhwanazi echoed this theme, telling the commission: “I want to demonstrate that the criminal justice system has been subject to a continuous threat as well as sabotage, which has been with us over an extended period, to a point where we believe it is at a real risk of a total collapse if nothing is done. Therefore, urgent and effective interventions are required in order to avert this outcome.”
He said he believed the commission would play “a very important role” in preventing the total collapse of the criminal justice system.
Mkhwanazi’s testimony continues.