South Africa's Police Minister Faces Serious Allegations of Criminal Connections

In a dramatic press briefing, KwaZulu-Natal police chief Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi alleges that Minister Senzo Mchunu has links to criminal gangs and received financial backing from a dubious businessman, as the police minister denies these claims and insists on the gravity of the situation.

South Africa’s Police Minister Senzo Mchunu has come under fire with serious allegations suggesting his connections to organized crime and interference in police investigations. The claims were brought to light by KwaZulu-Natal police chief Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi during a press briefing on Sunday, where Mkhwanazi accused Mchunu of receiving financial support from a businessman, who is allegedly involved in corruption, to further his political ambitions.

Mchunu has fervently denied what he terms “wild allegations,” while President Cyril Ramaphosa acknowledged the claims as “grave national security concerns” and indicated they would receive top priority attention from the government.

Mkhwanazi argued that these accusations correlate with the disbandment of a specialized task force in 2018 that was established to investigate politically motivated murders in KwaZulu-Natal. According to him, the investigations of this unit revealed links to a network of high-profile individuals, including politicians, police officials, and businesspeople tied to drug trafficking syndicates, resulting in the strategic dismantlement of the team.

Earlier this year, Mchunu stated that the task force had failed to add value to the province, contradicting Mkhwanazi's claims that many of its cases remained unresolved. Mkhwanazi disclosed that 121 case files had been removed from this unit under the minister's instruction, despite lacking authorization from national police commissioner General Fannie Masemola, and that these files have remained stagnant since March, with lack of investigative follow-ups.

Additionally, Mkhwanazi implicated Mchunu in maintaining ties with businessman Vusimuzi Matlala, who allegedly lent financial support for the minister's political career, despite the cancellation of Matlala’s lucrative police contract after his arrest for attempted murder. To support his claims, Mkhwanazi presented copies of text messages and proof of payment made by Matlala.

General Masemola is expected to respond to these serious claims later in the week while announcing a new temporary crime intelligence head. Notably, Lt-Gen Dumisani Khumalo, South Africa’s chief of criminal intelligence, was recently arrested on fraud and corruption charges linked to intelligence fund abuse and unlawful appointments within the South African Police Service.