KwaZulu-Natal is on standby for any fallout after dramatic allegations by provincial police commissioner Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, who on Sunday accused senior political and police figures of corruption, links to an international drug syndicate and interference in high-level investigations.
The fallout has triggered fears of retaliation and unrest, with some warning that tensions could escalate into violence reminiscent of the July 2021 riots, which left more than 350 people dead and dealt an estimated R50bn blow to the local economy.
KZN premier Thami Ntuli, who placed policing under his watch after taking office in June 2024, publicly expressed support for Mkhwanazi and urged President Cyril Ramaphosa to act without delay.
Spokesperson Bongani Gina said while the premier does not believe the matter will escalate into violence, contingency plans are in place to avoid a repeat of the July 2021 unrest.
Shortly after Mkhwanazi’s explosive briefing, voice notes, online threats and hashtags calling for “round two” of civil unrest started circulating across platforms — raising fears that KwaZulu-Natal could again become the flashpoint of organised disruption.
Among those who added to the surge of support for Mkhwanazi was Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, MK Party MP and daughter of former president Jacob Zuma.
She issued an ominous warning: “Let them touch you. We’re ready for round two” — a post widely interpreted as referencing the July 2021 unrest.
She is facing charges in the Durban High Court related to inciting violence for the tweets she posted in the midst of the July 2021 civil unrest.
Ngizwe Mchunu, another controversial figure who was indicted and later cleared by the Randburg magistrate’s court of charges of inciting the July 2021 violence, tweeted in isiZulu that history will repeat itself if Mkhwanazi is fired, arrested or killed.
Apart from these public figures, others have echoed similar warnings on social media platforms, using phrases such as “Round Two is coming”, “Touch Mkhwanazi and see what happens” and “We haven’t forgotten July 2021.” Others include social media campaigns and reposts under the hashtags such as #HandsOffMkhwanazi, #WeStandWithMkhwanazi and #JulyRiots2.0.
Some posts include images of burning buildings from 2021 captioned: “We did it before. We’ll do it again.” Others called for mass mobilisation if Mkhwanazi is removed, with one viral post reading: “If they silence him, we’ll make noise they can’t ignore.”
A similar wave of digital agitation preceded the July 2021 unrest, when co-ordinated social media posts and WhatsApp messages fuelled anger after former president Jacob Zuma’s arrest. What began as protests soon spiralled into widespread violence and looting.
On Tuesday security was beefed up outside Mkhwanazi’s Durban home, with visible teams of national intervention unit deployed at the entrance highlighting security concerns.
Already the sectors of society that are beginning to say Mkhwanazi is being targeted because he's from KZN and he's Zulu, and which is why Khumalo is also arrested because he's also Zulu.
— Dumisani Khumalo, crime intelligence head
Ramaphosa returned to the country from the Brics Summit in Brazil on Tuesday afternoon.
Deputy national commissioner Shadrack Sibiya and minister Mchunu have fiercely rejected Mkhwanazi’s claims.
In a televised interview, Sibiya labelled the allegations “baseless” and accused Mkhwanazi of acting like a “warlord” instead of a disciplined officer. He denied any role in the disbandment of the political killings task team and alleged that Mkhwanazi was retaliating over the recent arrest of crime intelligence head Dumisani Khumalo.
He also claimed Mkhwanazi resisted arrests in the AKA murder case, though this charge has drawn scepticism from the public.
Mchunu, in a formal statement, said he would not allow his integrity — or that of the SAPS — to be undermined by “insinuations made without evidence”. His office confirmed the matter would be reviewed.
Meanwhile the police minister was in KZN shortly after the briefing on a campaign trail where he met the community of ward 23 in Vryheid, ahead of a by-election. He showed no signs of concern over the allegations.
In response to the deepening crisis, ActionSA has announced a demonstration on Thursday outside the SAPS KwaZulu-Natal provincial headquarters in Durban. The march is intended to show support for Mkhwanazi and demand urgent action to restore integrity in the police service.
“This must begin with confronting those within law enforcement who actively undermine these efforts from within,” the party said in its statement.
The march is expected to draw support from citizens, NGOs, religious leaders and grassroots activists.
Other stakeholders have called for swift and decisive leadership. Rev Cierigh Samaai, chairperson of Communities Building Credible Ownership , warned that the threat of violence should not be underestimated and that “failure to act could send the wrong message and further inflame tensions.”
National police commissioner Fannie Masemola has responded cautiously, focusing on maintaining stability within the SAPS.
Through Brig Athlenda Mathe, Masemola assured the public that routine policing continues uninterrupted and that officers across the country are carrying out their mandate as usual.
Mathe could not be reached on Tuesday to comment on contingency measures specific to KZN.
Ramaphosa may find himself in a political bind. Mchunu is regarded as one of his staunchest allies in KZN, while others are demanding disciplinary action against Mkhwanazi, citing a failure to follow internal protocols and going public with untested allegations.
Veteran peace monitor Mary de Haas said Mkhwanazi appears deeply angered by the disbandment of the province’s political killings task team. “He knows he has strong public backing and is playing to the gallery,” she noted.
University of South Africa criminal law expert Dr Mpho Matlala warned: “In moments like this, we need cool heads.”
Matlala said Ramaphosa’s assurance that he would address the matter upon his return to the country is crucial to restoring calm and public confidence amid growing tensions.
Though he commends Mkhwanazi for exposing the alleged rot, Matlala believes he went about it in the wrong way, adopting a populist stance.
However, Matlala warned that the situation is already being exploited by certain actors, with some framing the developments as ethnically motivated.
“Now we have political actors who are also jumping in and trying to score political mileage — and, on social media anyway, their posture is presumed guilty until [proved] innocent. These allegations need to be tested, and this build-up is actually very dangerous, because it may as well lead us to the polarisation of our society.”
“Already the sectors of society that are beginning to say Mkhwanazi is being targeted because he's from KZN and he's Zulu, and which is why Khumalo is also arrested because he's also Zulu,” Matlala said.
Matlala said given how Mkhwanazi handled the matter in disregard of governance protocols within the SAPs, there should be consequences.
“I hope he is not assassinated because I think he is also anticipating that, which is why he would have the members of the Special Task Force and the Technical Intervention Unit members around him, which is highly unusual. Those are not ordinary police officials,” he said.
He said his revelation not only opened a can of worms in terms of the state of policy but gave the criminal syndicates leeway.
“They can now put out contract killings on anybody. They can now set general on general. This is why I'm saying now it's a matter of national security and if our SAPS is compromised, then our democracy will be reduced to dust, because law enforcement, law enforcers are the custodians of our democracy,” Matlala said.
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