On July 6, 2025, KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi held a highly charged press briefing at the SAPS Provincial Headquarters in Durban. Backed by armed Special Task Force members and senior officers, Mkhwanazi accused Police Minister Senzo Mchunu and Deputy National Commissioner Shadrack Sibiya of interfering in high-profile investigations and protecting criminal networks within the police and political spheres.

 

Key Allegations

1. 

Disbanding the Political Killings Task Team

  • Mkhwanazi claimed the Political Killings Task Team, formed in 2018 to investigate politically motivated murders, was disbanded on Minister Mchunu’s orders on December 31, 2024.
  • 121 investigation dockets, including five with arrest recommendations, were transferred to Pretoria and allegedly left untouched.

2. 

Criminal Syndicate Involvement

  • The team uncovered a Gauteng-based criminal network involving politicians, police officers, judges, prosecutors, and businesspeople linked to drug cartels.
  • Weapons seized in their investigations were forensically linked to multiple high-profile murders, including South African artists.

3. 

Evidence of Political Interference

  • Mkhwanazi presented WhatsApp messages and financial records connecting businessman Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala and Brown Mogotsi—an associate of Minister Mchunu—to the shutdown of the task team.
  • He also revealed Mogotsi had access to classified SAPS intelligence documents, raising concerns about serious information leaks.
  1. 🗣️ Mkhwanazi’s Message

“I will die for this badge,” he said, vowing to continue fighting crime despite what he described as internal sabotage. He accused national leadership of protecting criminals and undermining SAPS from within.