Summon Mkhwanazi to parliament to shed light on ‘rogue cops’ who want to silence him, says DA

The DA wants parliament to probe allegations of possible internal sabotage against KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi by senior officials within the force.

Mkhwanazi believes recent corruption accusations levelled against him by unknown people were a smear campaign aimed at undermining his investigations.

The allegations circulated via WhatsApp messages and other social media platforms and claim Mkhwanazi abused his position to obstruct the arrest of a senior correctional services official who is allegedly involved in a Westville prison-based drug cartel.

KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson Col Robert Netshiunda dismissed the allegations at the weekend, calling them “baseless” and “malicious”.

Mkhwanazi said on broadcaster eNCA this week he was involved with investigations into activities of certain police officers at a national level.

He believes this put him in the crosshairs of people who want to silence him and his investigating team from exposing those rogue cops.

“When you investigate junior members and you start getting a response from seniors it means you’ve touched a nerve and therefore we are not going to surrender. We’re not about to hand over this country to criminals especially from within the service. The people from outside can circulate and write whatever they want, but the problem is internal,” he said.

“The team from KZN has gone across the border and they are hitting the heart of head office of the SAPS and dealing with the corrupt and the worst bad apples we have in our system.”

This matter is critical not only to the stability of law enforcement in KZN but also to the broader public trust in our country's police service

—  Mzamo Billy, DA MP and member of select committee on security and justice

“That, unfortunately, has caused some senior people within the organisation to be uneasy and as a result you see this happening now.”

DA MP and member of select committee on security and justice Mzamo Billy said these allegations were “deeply troubling” and required urgent scrutiny by the committee.

He wrote to committee chairperson Jane Mananiso on Wednesday to summon Mkhwanazi to testify before parliament.

“Given the implications of these allegations for the integrity and effectiveness of the SAPS, I respectfully request the select committee urgently summon Lt-Gen Mkhwanazi to testify before parliament. His testimony will provide valuable insight into the issues he has raised and allow the committee to investigate the veracity of these claims and take appropriate action to address any systemic issues within the SAPS.”

“This matter is critical not only to the stability of law enforcement in KZN but also to the broader public trust in our country's police service. Ensuring transparency and accountability in this regard is essential for upholding the rule of law and the principles of justice.”

He said parliament was duty-bound to act decisively and ensure transparency and accountability within SAPS. To do that, it is imperative that the committee hears first-hand testimony from Mkhwanazi to uncover the truth behind his claims and address any systemic issues within the police service.”