Suspended Police Minister Senzo Mchunu has told Parliament that he instructed his chief of staff to record conversations with General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi.
Mchunu defended his actions before Parliament, saying he acted within his mandate and out of concern for the integrity of police operations. He said the recording was a precautionary step to document interactions after sensing escalating hostility from within police leadership.
The move drew criticism from civil society and opposition parties, who accused minister of undermining investigations into dozens of unsolved killings. Mkhwanazi has publicly condemned the decision, warning that it disrupted over 100 ongoing cases.
Remarks included that certain “past matters” could be exposed if Mchunu persisted with his decisions comments the minister interpreted as veiled threats. The dispute stems from Mchunu’s controversial decision to dissolve the PKTT.
This prompted him to order his chief of staff, Cedrick Nkabinde, to record future discussions “for accountability and protection.” A WhatsApp voice note, reportedly between Nkabinde and Mkhwanazi, allegedly includes remarks suggesting that the commissioner would “fight back”.
This was after sensing what he described as “threats and intimidation” linked to the disbandment of the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT). Mchunu said he felt uneasy after a series of tense exchanges with the commissioner over the task team’s closure earlier this year.