By Johnathan Paoli
Day three of the Madlanga Commission was dominated by explosive claims of ministerial interference, alleged leaks of police intelligence to underworld figures, and a warning that South Africa’s justice system risks being enveloped by a culture of corruption.
KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi warned that the evidence revealed “how criminal networks and political power were bleeding into one another”, painting a picture of a police service compromised at the highest levels, where politically connected businessmen appeared to hold unusual influence over state security decisions.
“When a businessman can send me a message saying, ‘Congratulations, you are going to save this country,’ it tells you everything about how deeply politics and policing have been contaminated. Our service is no longer insulated from private interests, and that is the crisis we are facing,” Mkhwanazi said.
Much of Friday afternoon’s session centred on former police minister Bheki Cele.
According to Mkhwanazi, Cele allegedly attempted to interfere in a disciplinary process involving crime intelligence boss, Major General Feroz Khan, who was accused of obstructing a 2021 cocaine bust in Gauteng.
Mkhwanazi testified that Major General Jabulani Khumalo was initially appointed to chair the disciplinary hearing but came under pressure from Cele to resign from SAPS and assist Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi with crime prevention initiatives instead.
“Cele is pursuing Khumalo to resign from the police so that he can stay away from the disciplinary case because he was appointed to deal with that case, departmentally, against General Khan.
“Can General Cele really go to the extent of wanting a person to resign from the SAPS because he wants to protect someone? It was really strange, I did not talk to Cele from that day,” Mkhwanazi said.
He added that he was later asked to chair the hearing himself and eventually cleared Khan on all charges.
In another dramatic claim, Mkhwanazi alleged that the Presidency itself interfered in policing to benefit Richards Bay Minerals (RBM).
He recalled receiving a call from National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola instructing him to redeploy detectives to Richards Bay after he had recalled them to Durban.
“I received a complaint from the Presidency. You must send those people back there,” Masemola allegedly told him.
The commissioner said the detectives had already spent a year in Richards Bay probing the murder of RBM executive Nico Swart and other cases, with little progress.
Mkhwanazi also dismissed the work of KwaZulu-Natal academic Professor Mary de Haas, a violence monitor, saying her publications offered “a one-sided story” of events within SAPS.
Defending his July 6 press conference, where he appeared in a Special Task Force uniform and first made the claims that led to the establishment of the Madlanga Commission, Mkhwanazi said he acted within protocol.
“I do not sneak up on a person, I face them directly,” he told the commission.
In the morning, Mkhwanazi alleged an improper relationship between suspended Police Minister Senzo Mchunu and businessman Brown Mogotsi.
He told the commission that Mogotsi appeared to have extraordinary access to police information, including confidential reports and details of disciplinary cases.
According to Mkhwanazi, Mogotsi first contacted him in September 2024 via WhatsApp, warning of an alleged plot to charge him with defeating the ends of justice.
Mogotsi attached police documents to his messages, material Mkhwanazi said no civilian should possess.
“It surprised me because these are documents of the police. A person not in law enforcement should not be in possession of this,” he said.
Later, Mogotsi allegedly boasted to underworld figure Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala that the political killings task team that had been “harassing” Matlala had been disbanded.
Mkhwanazi testified that he only learned of this weeks later through official channels, suggesting that Mogotsi was being briefed ahead of senior SAPS commanders.
The commission resumes on Monday at 9.30 am.
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