Political leaders raise questions over who knew about allegations against Senzo Mchunu

There has been mixed reaction to the question of whether President Cyril Ramaphosa might have been aware for some time of the allegations of political interference against Police Minister Senzo Mchunu, made public on Sunday by KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi. 

Mkhwanazi accused Mchunu of obstructing critical investigations by dismantling the Political Killings Task Team.

Mkhwanazi made explosive claims during a press briefing claiming that Mchunu ordered the unilateral disbandment of the team and transferred 121 politically sensitive dockets to Deputy National Commissioner for Crime Detection, Shadrack Sibiya's office, where they have since been allegedly "neutralised".

“These actions constitute political interference of the highest order and are a direct threat to the rule of law…This kind of conduct undermines the entire South African Criminal Justice System,” Mkhwanazi said during the explosive briefing.

Mkhwanazi highlighted communications between Mchunu and a businessman as a crucial piece of evidence. Despite Mchunu's parliamentary denial of knowing the businessman, Mkhwanazi asserts that a widely circulated social media phone recording contradicts this claim. This recording is considered one of the most damning pieces of evidence.

Both Mchunu and Sibiya have denied the allegations.

His allegations also implicate senior police officials in corruption and political interference which have since set-off calls for Ramaphosa to immediately investigate and get accountability at the highest levels of government.

A party official from the GNU, who requested anonymity, said the Phala Phala saga was coming back to haunt Ramaphosa, because it was left unsolved. 

"It's really dangerous for us right now to assume that President Ramaphosa knew of this. But the person (Mchunu) who is accused here is the same person who was defending him during the Phala Phala scandal. So we can't take it away from anyone who would say Ramaphosa is involved in a cover-up," the official said.

Another senior politician from the EFF said Ramaphosa was surrounding himself with allies that could succeed him to protect him from being prosecuted on the Phala Phala matter as soon as he leaves office in 2029. 

"If he (Ramaphosa) is not succeeded by someone who is in his corner then it could be his political enemy who would want him to be prosecuted, so he has to be involved in protecting his political ally (Mchunu)," the EFF source said.

uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela claimed Ramaphosa knew of the accusations towards Mchunu and was planning to cover it up. 

"What is happening in this country pertaining to national security has gone far beyond a 'grave concern'. If Ramaphosa can cover up Phala Phala, would it not be surprising if he was involved in covering up Mchunu's alleged shenanigans?" Ndhlela asked.

He said Ramaphosa had a tendency of covering-up high profile matters.

“We have written many times regarding political killings in KZN and Ramaphosa has since done nothing to curb that situation and now it has come to light that there is also a cover-up there,” he said.

However, Build One SA (BOSA) leader Mmusi Maimane warned against jumping to conclusions before an investigation is launched. 

"I'm wary of us taking the way of the president having been involved in this new matter because this might limit his ability to act if we take it that way and we would then have to leave it to the Deputy President Paul Mashatile to make pronouncements," Maimane said. 

"I say we wait for the Special Investigation Unit's proclamation and give it 30 days for us to be able to move forward.

However, Maimane added that if there were any truth that there are people who knew about the allegations Mkhwanazi brought forward, they should be put on special leave or suspended, regardless of who it was. 

Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya did not respond to questions on whether Ramaphosa knew about the allegations.

However on Sunday after Mkhwanazi’s bombshell, the presidency noted the statements made by Mkhwanazi and said it is a matter of grave national security concern that is receiving the highest priority attention. President Ramaphosa will outline the actions to be taken on this matter on his return from the BRICS Leaders' Summit.

ANC secretary-general Fikile Mbalula said the party took these allegations in a serious light.

"These allegations touch on the very integrity of the criminal justice system and the constitutional obligation of the state to protect South Africans.

"We call upon president Cyril Ramaphosa to act with the urgency and seriousness this matter demands. The ANC reaffirms its commitment to give full protection to whistle-blowers, investigators and officers of the law," Mbalula said.

Allegations made by Mkhwanazi have brought the work of the Political Killings Task Team into focus. 

This unit was established in 2018 in response to a surge in political assassinations within KZN. Its formation followed a directive from an Inter-Ministerial Committee, initiated after Ramaphosa's visit to the family of ANC activist Musawenkosi Qashana Mchunu, who was fatally shot in Plessislaer.

Since its inception, the task team has investigated 612 cases, leading to 436 arrests and the recovery of 156 firearms. Of these, 55 firearms have been ballistically linked to politically motivated killings. Mkhwanazi also disclosed that 35 police officers were arrested for attempting to obstruct these investigations.

mashudu.sadike@inl.co.za