Mchunu's chief of staff confirmed links with Mogotsi, says Mkhwanazi
KZN Police Commissioner Lt-Gen. Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi says Police Minister Senzo Mchunu's chief of staff told him about his appointment before he was appointed as political head of the ministry while he was minister of water and sanitation.
Image: Armand Hough / Independent Newspapers
POLICE Minister Senzo Mchunu’s chief of staff Cedric Nkabinde had allegedly told KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi that controversial business Brown Mogotsi was “very close” to Mchunu.
Mkhwanazi disclosed this when testifying before the Ad Hoc Committee investigating allegations of political interference in the disbandment of the political killings task team, corruption and misconduct in the police's crime intelligence division.
He spoke of how Nkabinde entered the chief of staff position without a comprehensive understanding of what the role entails.
Mkhwanazi said Nkabinde told him about his appointment before he was appointed.
He had doubts that the former police officer would be able to deal with administrative issues or the strategic role.
“My impression is Mr Nkabinde was appointed a minister’s chief of staff and had no clue what a chief of staff does. He had to learn as he was going,” he said.
The police commissioner indicated that Nkabinde had turned to the minister's former chief of staff for guidance, further illustrating his inexperience
“That is why when the minister allegedly called him to ask him to be the chief of staff, Nkabinde phoned me and asked me what a chief of staff does, he had no clue,” he said.
Mkhwanazi said he met Mchunu before he was appointed as the Minister of Police in a meeting arranged by Nkabinde.
“Besides knowing the minister as the former Premier (of KwaZulu-Natal), I then personally met the minister in his own house a few weeks before his appointment to the police.”
He said the meeting was arranged by Nkabinde, who had wanted to introduce him to Mchunu to demonstrate how close he was to the minister when he was still at the Department of Water and Sanitation.
“So I drove with him to his house. We drank coffee and we got to know each other and that was that.”
It was at this meeting that Nkabinde told him that Brown Mogotsi was very close to Mchunu. Mogotsi has been accused of unlawful interference in SAPS operations, associations with organised crime, and a potentially strategic relationship with Mchunu, who is currently on leave of absence.
Mchunu initially distanced himself from Mogotsi to only later confirm him as a comrade.
Cape Times