A ring of protection that includes his own bottled water at the Madlanga Commission has been thrown around whistleblower cop Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi and his top brass.
Since the July 6 press conference, the KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner has attracted intense attention and significant danger, after exposing deep-rooted corruption, political interference and criminal syndicates infiltrating South Africa’s criminal justice system — a message he reinforced this week during his explosive testimony at the commission.
The revelations triggered an unprecedented security response for those who surround him, including his deputy Lt-Gen Nonhlanhla Zulu, and other senior officers linked to the explosive investigations into 121 politically sensitive dockets — many of which implicate high-ranking politicians, magistrates and police officers in organised crime.
Over three days Mkhwanazi accused police minister Senzo Mchunu of unlawfully disbanding the highly effective Political Killings Task Team (PKTT), claiming the decision was influenced by “nefarious forces”.
He revealed that five dockets ready for arrest following prosecution-led investigations, were transferred to head office and then mishandled or ignored, effectively stalling justice.
Mkhwanazi implicated DA MP Dianne Kohler-Barnard and National Coloured Congress leader Fadiel Adams in unlawfully exposing classified intelligence material, accusing them of “fuelling malicious attacks” on SAPS Crime Intelligence.
He described how the arrest of Crime Intelligence boss Dumisani Khumalo — linked to irregular appointments — crippled ongoing investigations into organised crime and political killings.
“The least they could have done was to take the dockets and arrest those suspects,” Mkhwanazi told the commission.
“Once a docket has an instruction from the court to arrest, it must be carried out with speed. Those arrests were not effected.”
National police commissioner Gen Fanie Masemola confirmed in an impromptu interview that Mkhwanazi has received credible threats to his life.
“He’s been getting threats in the province,” Masemola said. “We have beefed up his security, but he won’t be persecuted from my side.”
Multiple sources — within SAPS and in private security — confirmed that high-risk officials, especially those tied to the now-defunct PKTT, are under enhanced protection. This includes covert surveillance, relocation of family members and deployment of elite tactical units.
At Mkhwanazi’s Durban residence, heavily armed members of the National Intervention Unit have been stationed since early July.
“It’s like a fortress,” said one neighbour.
At the commission, Mkhwanazi refused to drink water offered by staff, instead bringing his own sealed bottle — a move widely interpreted as a precaution against poisoning.
Commission officials confirmed security around him was “uncompromising”.
Chad Thomas, a security analyst with IRS Forensic Investigations, said threat assessments are conducted to determine whether a person faces a specific or generalised risk to their safety based on the position they hold, the work that they do or the information they may be privy to.
“In relation to Lt-Gen Mkhwanazi, it is quite obvious, even without a risk assessment, that he is extremely vulnerable to attack or retaliation from those that he has mentioned in his July 6 press conference, as well as those that are now being brought up in greater detail at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry. Lt-Gen Mkhwanazi is potentially exposing the biggest crime syndicate to have ever infiltrated our police service.
“Names that he has brought up of underworld figures have already been implicated in several murders and attempted murders. It would be irresponsible if not reckless not to increase Lt-Gen Mkhwanazi’s close protection detail,” Thomas said.
When approached for comment, national police spokesperson Brig Athlenda Mathe declined to provide details.
“As the SAPS, we cannot divulge or discuss in public the security protocols of any member of the SAPS, as this has potential to compromise their safety,” she said.
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