/
RSS Feed
KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, who shocked the nation by alleging that South Africa’s police and justice system had been infiltrated by criminal syndicates, testified on Wednesday before a presidential commission of inquiry.
Mkhwanazi first made the explosive claims in July, accusing senior politicians and police leaders of interfering in sensitive investigations to protect drug cartels and organised crime networks. The allegations sparked public outrage and prompted President Cyril Ramaphosa to appoint the inquiry. Parliament is also conducting a separate investigation.
“Real risk of collapse”
In his opening statement, Mkhwanazi warned that the country’s criminal justice system was being actively sabotaged.
“It has been my aim to demonstrate that the criminal justice system has been subject to a continuous threat, as well as sabotage, over an extended period,” he said. “We believe it is at real risk of total collapse if nothing is done.”
Senior officials implicated
At his July press conference, Mkhwanazi named Police Minister Senzo Mchunu and Deputy National Police Commissioner Shadrack Sibiya, alleging they shut down a special crime unit investigating political killings in KwaZulu-Natal. He claimed the unit had linked crime syndicates to the murders of two musicians and exposed cartels behind the violence.
Both Mchunu and Sibiya have since been suspended and are expected to appear before the commission.
Political and public reaction
The commission’s launch has been met with scepticism. Critics note that past inquiries under Ramaphosa have produced few consequences for senior officials.
Economic Freedom Fighters leader Julius Malema has argued that parliamentary hearings would carry more weight than the commission, while the opposition Umkhonto we Sizwe (MK) Party is set to challenge the inquiry’s legality in court.
Calls for reform
Louise Edwards, of the African Policing Civilian Oversight Forum, said the inquiry could be transformative if its recommendations are acted upon.
“We have to remain optimistic,” she said, “but the only way I see real change happening is if findings lead to real consequences, systemic reforms and sustained oversight. Too often implementation is the weakness in commissions of inquiry.”
South Africa continues to grapple with one of the world’s highest crime rates, but rarely has a senior police official so publicly accused political and security leaders of collusion with criminal networks — raising the stakes for both the inquiry and the government.
