KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi has suggested that Police Minister Senzo Mchunu was not the sole driving force behind the controversial decision to disband a specialized task team investigating political killings.
Testifying on the first day of the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry in Pretoria, Commissioner Mkhwanazi described the circumstances leading to the disbandment as “odd” and “strange.” He stated that Minister Mchunu issued the formal letter requesting the team be disbanded in December without consulting him or the National Police Commissioner.
However, Mkhwanazi’s testimony introduced a new layer to the story. He alleged that during a conversation with Mchunu’s chief of staff, Cedrick Nkabinde, it became apparent that someone else was advising the minister. Mkhwanazi described a back-and-forth drafting process for the letter, coordinated by Nkabinde between someone in Gauteng and Minister Mchunu, who was in KwaZulu-Natal at the time.
The commissioner found it unusual that the instruction to disband the team came just months after it had been requested to assist with a critical counterintelligence operation. His testimony raises key questions about who was ultimately behind the decision and the advice given to the police minister. The commission continues to investigate allegations of political interference and criminality within the criminal justice system.