General Mkhwanazi Accuses Police Minister Senzo Mchunu of Political Interference

General Mkhwanazi: Police Used as Tools in Political Battles, Cites Minister Senzo Mchunu

Pretoria — KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi has told the Madlanga Commission that the South African Police Service (SAPS) has, on several occasions, been drawn into political disputes by executive authorities. He alleged that police resources and structures were improperly used to advance partisan agendas, pointing to an incident involving Police Minister Senzo Mchunu.

Testifying on 30 March 2025, Mkhwanazi explained that in the lead-up to a local by-election, Minister Mchunu allegedly sought to influence police action against a former councillor who had defected from one political party to another.

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According to Mkhwanazi, the minister — acting as a deployee of his political party — entered the contested area to bolster his party’s campaign. During this period, Mchunu reportedly summoned police station management to account for a case allegedly linked to the defected councillor, with the apparent intention of ensuring the individual’s arrest to prevent him from campaigning for his new party.

“The minister wanted the station management to brief him about the status of the case against a competitor in the elections. This would have placed undue pressure on the police to arrest the individual ahead of the polls,” Mkhwanazi told the commission.

He revealed that the situation was diffused when Major General Anthony Kupal intervened, preventing the minister from privately directing police station management. The case in question, however, turned out to involve the councillor’s brother, not the candidate himself, exposing a case of mistaken identity.

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Despite this, Mkhwanazi argued the incident reflected a troubling pattern:

“This is the type of behavior we started seeing happening in the province. Executive authorities blur the lines between policymaking and police operations, using the police as a weapon in political competition.”

The general emphasized that such interference undermines the independence of SAPS, which should remain neutral in political matters. He flagged both Minister Mchunu and former police minister Bheki Cele for instances of interference in operational and disciplinary issues.

Mkhwanazi concluded by stressing that police officers must serve communities without being drawn into party political rivalries:

“We respect all leaders of our communities. Our duty is to serve the people, not to be instruments in political battles.”

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The Commission is expected to call Major General Kupal to verify the events described by Mkhwanazi.