President Cyril Ramaphosa is set to speak to the country on Sunday evening at 7pm regarding the serious claims made by KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi. The commissioner recently accused high-ranking officials, including Police Minister Senzo Mchunu, of corruption and interfering with police investigations.
According to a statement from the Presidency, Ramaphosa has been fully engaged with the matter following his return from a BRICS summit in Brazil. The President is said to have held several consultations and now intends to speak directly to South Africans about the national implications of the allegations.
The uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party has already laid criminal charges against Minister Mchunu and Deputy National Police Commissioner Shadrack Sibiya. The charges include obstruction of justice, abuse of power, and conspiracy. The party also accuses Mchunu of lying to Parliament about his relationship with businessman Brown Mogotsi.
MK Party Member of Parliament Mazolman Skosana stated that the charges were based on Mkhwanazi’s detailed revelations, backed by evidence. “General Mkhwanazi was clear and firm. He claimed that Minister Mchunu interfered in investigations, and that the National Commissioner was instructed to remove key dockets,” said Skosana. However, the National Commissioner has since denied receiving such instructions.
The political killings task team, which was investigating high-profile cases, had previously been disbanded—a move now at the centre of the controversy.
As tension builds, security has reportedly been tightened around Mkhwanazi due to the nature of his disclosures. Ramaphosa’s Sunday night address is expected to shed light on the government’s response and possibly the future of those implicated.
The public and political parties alike await the President’s words, as questions grow around integrity, accountability, and national security within the country’s top policing structures.