By Johnathan Paoli
Day two of Parliament’s ad hoc committee probing allegations of corruption and political interference in the South African Police Service (SAPS) ended with testimony from KwaZulu-Natal provincial commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, who accused certain journalists of acting as “players in the mess” that has hollowed out the country’s law enforcement institutions.
Answering questions from the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), Democratic Alliance (DA) and uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MK) among other parties, Mkhwanazi said journalism has been weaponised in the service of powerful, illegal interests.
“Some people in the media space are not just reporting. They are influencing, intercepting, and advancing agendas that weaken the police. If the media wasn’t there, we wouldn’t be sitting here today,” Mkhwanazi said.
The allegations surfaced during exchanges with EFF leader Julius Malema, who pressed the general on whether political “deployed cadres” had eroded police discipline.
Mkhwanazi dissected the role of journalists
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