Mkhwanazi vs Mchunu: Human Rights Commission calls for immediate inquiry

The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) has called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to institute a short-term commission of inquiry into allegations of involvement in criminality against Police Minister Senzo Mchunu and high-ranking officials.

This is after KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi shocked the nation during a media briefing on Sunday, when he made claims of corruption, political interference in investigations, and involvement with drug cartels against Mchunu and Deputy National Commissioner for Crime Detection Lt General Shadrack Sibiya. 

Mkhwanazi said Sibiya was acting on the instructions of the Minister of Police to disband the police's political killings task team.

Both Mchunu and Sibiya have denied the allegations.

Mchunu said he would not allow his integrity, that of the Ministry or the SAPS at large, to be “undermined by insinuations made without evidence or due process,” from anyone, including Mkhwanazi. He added that he will review the statements and consider appropriate action. 

Sibiya said Mkhwanazi must stop behaving like a criminal and behave like a disciplined member of the police. “Tell him to stop threatening people and talking about violence there. He must stop behaving like a warlord. He’s a member of the police,” Sibiya told the SABC.

Chris Nissen, Chairperson of the SAHRC, said that the allegations levelled by Mkhwanazi require immediate attention.

Nissen said South Africans cannot wait for the many months that the commission of inquiry usually takes; they need to know the truth as soon as possible because this concerns their safety, which is a human right.

“The President must set up a short span commission of inquiry which will wrap up all its work in a matter of weeks,” Nissen told eNCA.

At the centre of the controversy is the disbandment of the political killings task team, the freezing of posts for crime intelligence, which have left KZN with vacant positions, among others.

Mary de Haas, a KZN Violence Monitor, said Mkhwanazi’s conduct is "completely unacceptable".

“His conduct is posing a serious danger to security because he has been going out of his way to build up a good public image, and people are going to be angry about it and believe him. It’s a dangerous move, but don’t forget that the people he is supporting are facing serious criminal charges. I’m told there are others lined up, and yet he is taking the side of people who are under suspicion for committing serious crimes.

“It is completely out of order and against all protocols to publicly speak out about a minister, and it is dangerous, and I hope he will immediately face the consequences for it,” De Haas said.

gcwalisile.khanyile@inl.co.za