Suspended Police Minister Senzo Mchunu is set to testify before the parliamentary inquiry looking at political interference in the police.
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Suspended Minister of Police, Senzo Mchunu, is scheduled to appear before Parliament’s Ad Hoc Committee on Thursday and Friday as investigations continue into serious allegations of political interference in police operations.
The probe follows a bombshell press briefing in July by KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, who made a series of explosive claims implicating Mchunu and other senior officials.
Mkhwanazi accused Mchunu, Deputy National Commissioner for Crime Detection, Lieutenant General Shadrack Sibiya, and Mchunu’s associate Brown Mogotsi of playing central roles in undermining police independence and obstructing justice.
According to Mkhwanazi, Mchunu interfered directly in operational matters, notably the disbandment of the Political Killings Task Team, a unit established in 2018 to investigate politically motivated murders and related crimes in KwaZulu-Natal.
He further alleged that 121 case dockets, some containing instructions for arrests, were abruptly removed from the unit in March under Sibiya’s orders, reportedly at Mchunu’s direction.
These dockets were allegedly shelved at police headquarters in Pretoria without the knowledge of either Mkhwanazi or National Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola.
“Five of these dockets had instructions to arrest perpetrators, but nothing has been done; they are sitting in an archive in his office in Pretoria. God knows why,” Mkhwanazi said.
Standing in full combat gear and flanked by armed Special Task Force (STF) and Tactical Response Team (TRT) members, he warned, “The war we are facing deals with high-level senior officers.”
He claimed that the now-disbanded task team had uncovered links between a national crime syndicate, sitting politicians, senior police officers, and prosecutors, possibly explaining the push to halt investigations.
Mkhwanazi also accused Mchunu of misleading Parliament about his relationship with Brown Mogotsi, who allegedly had unauthorised access to classified police documents and internal SAPS communications.
Mogotsi is said to be linked to Vusumuzi “Cat” Matlala, a police service provider awarded a R360 million tender in 2024. In May 2025, Commissioner Masemola canceled the contract, stating that Matlala’s company should never have advanced past the first round of the bidding process.
Following Matlala’s arrest on attempted murder charges, police reportedly uncovered, via cellphone analysis, a web of alleged corruption involving Matlala, Mogotsi, and Mchunu.
While Mchunu denies any connection to Matlala, who is alleged to be a criminal underworld figure, his stance on Mogotsi has shifted. After previously telling Parliament in March that he did not know Mogotsi, Mchunu has admitted, four months later, that he knows him “just as a comrade.”
“I don’t know this person,” Mchunu had insisted in March, claiming he was shown a photo of Mogotsi in response to reports that someone was falsely claiming to be close to him.
Mchunu acknowledged having met Mogotsi, but downplayed the relationship, stating they are not associates and that he has never received anything from him.
Mchunu has since been placed on special leave pending the outcome of the investigations.
The Ad Hoc Committee has already heard testimony from Mkhwanazi, Masemola, and Sibiya.
Several other senior SAPS officials are expected to appear before the committee in the coming weeks.
Parliament's Unit Manager Dr Thulisile Ganyaza-Twalo confirmed on Wednesday evening that hearings were in “full swing.”
The committee reviewed witness scheduling updates, legal developments, and a growing list of implicated individuals, including current and former police and government officials.
According to the updated program presented, Mchunu will testify on the 16 and 17 of October, led by senior counsel Advocate Norman Arendse SC, with a follow-up session for direct questioning by MPs scheduled for the 21 October. A further date, 22 October, has been set aside in case additional engagement with Mchunu is needed.
The committee also confirmed that former Police Minister Bheki Cele is scheduled to appear on 23–24 October, followed by other high-ranking officials, including Deputy Ministers Cassel Mathale and Polly Boshielo, Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia, and NDPP Advocate Shamila Batohi, stretching into mid-November.
In her address, Ganyaza-Twalo also revealed that 325 public submissions had been received so far, with the window for submissions closing on 17 October. The committee has also been granted a new deadline of 28 November 2025 to complete its work, following a formal extension request to the Speaker’s Office.
During the meeting, Advocate Maria Mokhoaetsi presented two witness lists. One contains confirmed witnesses with scheduled appearances, and another includes names still pending consultation.
Notably, the second list includes individuals like Nkabinde , Mogotsi, and Ramaphosa, from whom information is being sought regarding meetings involving Mchunu, former Minister Cele, and Masemola.
hope.ntanzi@iol.co.za
IOL Politics
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