Mkhwanazi was my friend, we partied together: Senzo Mchunu’s chief of staff

Police minister Senzo Mchunu’s chief of staff says he fears for his life after his brother was allegedly assaulted during a raid by police who mistook his brother for him.

Cedrick Nkabinde held a media briefing in Sandton where he said should anything happen to him, the blame had to be put on police commissioner Gen Fannie Masemola.

Nkabinde said his flat was ransacked by police wearing balaclavas who assaulted and intimidated his brother, who was allegedly initially mistaken for him.

Nkabinde also rubbished KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi’s claims that he did not qualify for the job and that Mchunu found him unemployed. Mkhwanazi made this claim during his testimony to the parliament’s ad hoc committee on Wednesday.

Nkabinde said Mkhwanazi was once his close friend who partied with him and often visited him.

“The very same General Mkhwanazi was a very close friend of mine, we partied together. He would come to my house, I would go to his house ... he knew where I was working and he used to come to my workplace,” Nkabinde said.

He accused Mkhwanazi of blatantly lying and making unfounded allegations against Mchunu, Sibiya and himself, including that he was unemployed before becoming Mchunu’s chief of staff.

Nkabinde said his brother was assaulted by police and was released only when they realised that it was not him. He said his brother had to produce his ID card to prove that he was not Nkabinde.

Nkabinde accused Mkhwanazi and Masemola of a “witch hunt” as he feels they were trying to get evidence for the claims made against him, Mchunu and deputy police commissioner Shadrack Sibiya.

It has also emerged that Mchunu and Sibiya’s properties were raided on Thursday morning.

Nkabinde said they were prepared to give their side of the story at the Madlanga commission of inquiry into criminality, political interference and corruption in the criminal justice system and to parliament’s ad hoc committee.

He accused Masemola and Mkhwanazi of being desperate to get evidence to support what they have told the commission.

“General Mkhwanazi has a personal vendetta against me ... [he’s trying] to tarnish my name,” Nkabinde said.

He said he was in the process of registering a case of intimidation, assault and kidnapping. He said several gadgets were taken from his flat but as he was yet to return to his apartment, he had not yet ascertained what had been taken.

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