“Appoint Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi as acting national police commissioner now.”
This is the opinion of former EFF MP Mbuyiseni Ndlozi, who called on President Cyril Ramaphosa to suspend national police commissioner Gen Fannie Masemola and replace him with the KwaZulu-Natal top cop in an acting capacity.
This follows reports that Masemola has been served with a court summons to face charges related to a controversial R360m health services tender. He is scheduled to appear in the Pretoria magistrate’s court on April 21.
The legal action stems from an investigation by the Investigative Directorate Against Corruption (Idac), which has led to the arrests of 12 high-ranking police officials and a company director.
The group faces charges, including fraud, corruption, money laundering and violations of the Public Finance Management Act (PFMA). While others face direct corruption charges, Masemola specifically faces charges related to violation of the PFMA.
Ndlozi took to X to accuse Idac of “dragging” Masemola to court to force his removal from office.
Ramaphosa has a duty to defend the credibility of the criminal justice system. The criminals must not win
— Mbuyiseni Ndlozi, former EFF MP
“The objective is to have Ramaphosa remove him,” he said. “Once removed, the hope is [crime intelligence boss Lt-Gen Dumisani] Khumalo and Mkhwanazi will be exposed, with no-one left to protect their work.”
Ndlozi claimed there is a long-standing mission to leave Mkhwanazi and Khumalo vulnerable. He alleged the plot began with the disbandment of the political killings task team (PKTT) to undermine criminal investigations into organised gangs and their collaborators within the high echelons of the South African Police Service (SAPS).
To counter this, Ndlozi called on Ramaphosa to take three immediate steps:
- suspend Masemola;
- suspend Idac head Andrea Johnson; and
- appoint Mkhwanazi as acting national police commissioner.
“Ramaphosa has a duty to defend the credibility of the criminal justice system,” Ndlozi said. “The criminals must not win.”
Ramaphosa has noted the charges and summons issued against Masemola and indicated he will address the matter in accordance with the law.
Ndlozi previously defended Mkhwanazi against EFF leader Julius Malema’s verbal attacks. Malema accused Mkhwanazi of dragging the EFF into personal vendettas between high-ranking SAPS officials.
Ndlozi insisted Mkhwanazi be protected at all costs: “Hands off Lt-Gen Mkhwanazi. A society that doesn’t protect whistleblowers is doomed to become a mafia state. They have already killed Babita Deokaran. What do you think they will do to Mkhwanazi?”
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