Embattled Police Minister Mchunu says he is ready to tell his side on corruption allegations

Under-fire Police Minister Senzo Mchunu, who was recently placed on special leave, said he is patiently waiting to share his side of the story before the Judicial Commission of Inquiry following serious allegations of corruption made against him.

The allegations were raised by KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, who implicated Mchunu in misconduct alongside others.

“Those allegations were not only against me,” Mchunu said. 

“They were against a range of other departments, and I would also say the justice system as a whole in the country, as he said it there.”

He was speaking on the sidelines of the ANC Musa Dladla region’s International Mandela Day celebration in Empangeni, KwaZulu-Natal.

This was Mchunu’s first public appearance since being placed on leave.

Mchunu emphasised the importance of fairness and due process, saying he is ready to testify.

“In South Africa, we will always treasure and insist that you hear one side, and after you’ve heard one side, you then hear the other side,” he said.

He criticised what he described as a one-sided approach to justice.

“The day one person stands on a podium and says, ‘I suspect so-and-so of wrongdoing,’ then says, ‘I’ve investigated,’ then says, ‘I’ve found something wrong,’ and prosecutes, and at the same time sits as a magistrate and a judge - that will be the end of South Africa,” Mchunu said.

“It will crush and destroy the dream that all of us have had for years, struggling for justice in this country.”

He said that justice means hearing both sides, regardless of how serious the allegations are.

Mchunu expressed his willingness to cooperate with the inquiry.

“I’m sitting here, waiting for the commission,” he said. 

“I believe that the president thought things through very well, and I support that.”

“Everything has its own time. There was a time of allegations - now it’s time for those accused, like me, to tell their side of the story. We are ready. I am ready to respond to the allegations.”

In explosive allegations, Mkhwanazi accused Lieutenant-General Shadrack Sibiya, the deputy national commissioner for crime detection, who has also been placed on leave, of colluding with Brown Mogotsi, an information dealer from the North West, and Mchunu, in an alleged plot to disband the KwaZulu-Natal political killings task team that has been at the centre of recent law enforcement efforts.

According to Mkhwanazi, Mchunu disbanded the unit in March, effectively withdrawing 121 active dockets, many of which were linked to politically motivated killings. 

He presented WhatsApp messages, South African Police Service (SAPS) documents, and cellphone records, alleging a coordinated effort to dismantle the unit.

Mchunu, in a letter dated December 2024 to National Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola, claimed the unit had “outlived its usefulness.”

In response to the mounting scandal, Ramaphosa established a Judicial Commission of Inquiry to probe the allegations and placed Mchunu on special leave.

On Tuesday, President Cyril Ramaphosa appointed Gwede Mantashe, the current Minister of Mineral and Petroleum Resources, as the acting Minister of Police, effectively immediately.

Mantashe will oversee police matters while retaining his existing portfolio in mineral and petroleum resources. 

Professor Firoz Cachalia, who has served in various educational roles, is set to succeed Mantashe at the helm of police leadership in August, following his retirement from the University of the Witwatersrand at the end of this month. 

On Wednesday, IOL News reported that Ramaphosa pushed back against growing calls for him to fire Mchunu following explosive allegations by Mkhwanazi, saying it would be unfair and set a dangerous precedent.

Speaking at the Presidency’s budget vote for the 2025/2026 financial year, Ramaphosa stressed the importance of due processes.

“Some have said that I should take immediate punitive steps against the Minister based on untested allegations,” he said.

“Not only would this be unfair, but it would create a dangerous precedent.”

Ramaphosa said it is important that the facts be established through a thorough and independent process to ensure accountability and restore public confidence in law enforcement.

He insisted that the commission should be allowed to do its work without interference.

“Some people have resurrected the tired line that the commissions and panels that we have established have not produced any meaningful results.”

“This view is wrong. It is not borne out by evidence,” Ramaphosa added.

Meanwhile, the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party has taken to the streets in protest after President Cyril Ramaphosa failed to meet its demand to resign by 9am on Friday.

The party had issued a formal letter of demand earlier in the week, calling for Ramaphosa to step down.

In the letter, seen by IOL News, the MK Party argued that the president’s appointment of Cachalia as acting minister of police was unconstitutional, as Cachalia is neither a member of the Cabinet nor the National Assembly.

“Should Ramaphosa fail to heed this call, the MK Party will pursue a range of lawful and peaceful actions, including constitutional litigation, a motion of no confidence in Parliament, and rolling mass action nationwide,” said MK Party spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndlela.

MK Party supporters are marching in the Union Buildings in Pretoria in support of Mkhwanazi, also calling for the immediate removal of Mchunu.

They are joined by members of Defend South Africa and allied civic groups, who are also demanding Ramaphosa’s immediate resignation.

simon.majadibodu@iol.co.za

IOL Politics