Post by : Meena Ariff

Photo: Reuters

South Africa’s President Cyril Ramaphosa has placed Police Minister Senzo Mchunu on immediate leave after serious allegations linked him to organised crime. The President announced this decision during a live speech on Sunday. He said these allegations are worrying because they threaten national security and weaken the country’s constitution.

New Interim Police Minister Appointed

President Ramaphosa has chosen law professor Firoz Cachalia as the interim police minister while investigations continue. He added that a judicial commission, led by the deputy chief justice, will examine all the claims made against Mchunu. This commission will not only investigate Mchunu but also current and former police officers and other senior officials in the government.

Mchunu Denies Wrongdoing

Minister Mchunu, who is 67 years old, denied any wrongdoing. He released a statement saying that he respects the President’s decision and is ready to respond to the accusations. He added that honour and integrity are very important values for him and that everyone should work to uphold them.

Why This Investigation Started

The allegations first became public last Sunday when KwaZulu-Natal’s police boss, General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, spoke about them. He claimed that Mchunu was receiving financial support from a businessman involved in corruption to fund his political work.

General Mkhwanazi also explained that a special task force set up in 2018 to investigate political killings in KwaZulu-Natal was suddenly shut down. He said this happened because their investigations found links between these killings and powerful people, including politicians, police officials, and businesspeople who were part of a drug cartel syndicate.

Concerns Over Stopped Investigations

When Minister Mchunu closed the task force earlier this year, he said the unit was not adding value to the province, even though many murder cases were still unsolved. General Mkhwanazi revealed that 121 case files were taken from the task force on Mchunu’s orders, without permission from the national police commissioner, General Fannie Masemola. He said these files have been sitting untouched at the police head office since March and that five of them already had orders for arrests.

Ties With Controversial Businessman

General Mkhwanazi also said that Mchunu had strong ties with a controversial businessman named Vusimuzi Matlala. Matlala was financially supporting Mchunu’s political career. Matlala had a big contract with the police, but it was cancelled after he was arrested for attempted murder in May this year. To support his claims, General Mkhwanazi shared copies of text messages and payments made by Matlala to Mchunu.

Political Impact and Future Steps

Minister Mchunu is an important leader in President Ramaphosa’s African National Congress (ANC) party. Some political experts believe he may run for a top leadership position at the ANC conference in 2027. President Ramaphosa is facing public pressure to act quickly on this case to maintain trust in his government. The judicial commission will now start a full investigation to find out the truth behind these shocking allegations.