Suspended Police Minister Senzo Mchunu has stated that his request to temporarily step aside from his responsibilities within the African National Congress (ANC) was denied by the party’s leadership. Mchunu is currently under investigation following serious allegations made by KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi.
The commissioner has alleged ties between Mchunu and a criminal network operating within law enforcement. These claims are now being examined by two separate official inquiries.
Mchunu revealed that he wrote to the ANC’s Integrity Commission in July, shortly after the allegations surfaced, offering to voluntarily take leave from his positions on the ANC’s National Executive Committee and National Working Committee. However, he says Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula informed him that his special leave applied only to his cabinet role as Police Minister, not his party duties.
The former minister, who has consistently denied all allegations, stated that an acting minister has now been appointed and he is no longer the public face of the police service. He expressed his willingness to cooperate with the ongoing investigations and present his side of the story.
Mchunu, who has positioned himself as an anti-corruption advocate, maintained that his record in fighting corruption is well established. He acknowledged public frustration with crime and corruption but urged perseverance in what he described as a difficult and long-term struggle.