News

'Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi is in trouble': Police unionist says KZN police boss has to back the allegations

Jonisayi Maromo|Published

KwaZulu-Natal provincial police commissioner, Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi.

Image: Screenshot

KwaZulu-Natal provincial police commissioner, Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi has the onus to follow up on his allegation and provide proof of his damning allegations against Police Minister Senzo Mchunu, deputy national police commissioner, Lieutenant General Shadrack Sibiya and other individuals mentioned.

Mkhwanazi held a media briefing earlier this week, where he made some explosive revelations, stating that investigations have unearthed a crime syndicate involving underworld figures, politicians, prosecutors, judges, and senior police officers. 

The provincial commissioner added that the surprise closure of the effective political task team unit, allegedly engineered by Mchunu and not by the national police commissioner, General Fannie Masemola, has sparked the rising tensions and a series of events, including the wave of arrests by the Investigative Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC).

In an interview with IOL, general secretary of the Independent Policing Union of South Africa (Ipusa), Mpho Kwinika, said in the policing environment, Mkhwanazi faces a mammoth task.

“Look, Mkhwanazi is in trouble. Mkhwanazi must prove that indeed there is crime committed by those senior officials he has implicated, failing which the law is going to be against him. In the police, we have a policy that deals with communications. Before you communicate anything to the public, you must get permission from the national commissioner of police," said Kwinika.

General secretary of the Independent Policing Union of South Africa (Ipusa), Mpho Kwinika.

Image: Supplied

“Did the national commissioner of police give him permission? That is to be answered one day. As for the crime that he (Mkhwanazi) is alleging has been committed, we still have to see if there is any criminal case opened for defeating the ends of justice, corruption, aiding and abetting criminals."

Regarding the possible repercussions for the provincial police commissioner, Kwinika said Mkhwanazi might be dragged before a departmental hearing or a commission of inquiry.

“He may be exonerated, but the president might not want him to be there because of the allegations he made against all these people. In other words, there could be an amicable solution which is found to let him go," he said.

“The other part is of morale. It is foreign in the SAPS that senior officials can have public spats because members are warned not to get involved in such acts - on or off duty. 

“The president is going to read the riot act. I see that the national commissioner of police, Masemola, who neglected his duties and allowed this whole situation to degenerate into what it is, the president may release him from his duties," said Kwinika.

Regarding Mchunu's future, Kwinika said the minister is Ramaphosa’s appointee and it would cause embarrassment on the president if he removes him. 

“The president believes he has done the right thing by appointing him. If he is going to remove him, it must be on serious allegations and grounds, because other politicians are going to feast on him. I am telling you, there is going to be a serious interrogation of what transpired by the president before he can make any decision that can harm his appointment of Mchunu," said Kwinika.

On Sunday, Mkhwanazi claimed that Mchunu allegedly abused his ministerial powers to shield a member of a crime syndicate in Gauteng who was arrested for three attempted murders. He further claimed Mchunu’s real reason for disbanding the police’s political killings unit was that it assisted in dismantling a drug cartel in Gauteng.

jonisayi.maromo@iol.co.za

IOL News