South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has placed Police Minister Senzo Mchunu on immediate leave of absence following allegations of links to organized crime. The allegations, which include interference in investigations into political killings and corruption within law enforcement agencies, “call for an urgent and comprehensive investigation,” Ramaphosa said in a live televised speech to the nation. A judicial commission, led by the country’s deputy chief justice, will examine all claims and investigate current and former police officials, as well as members of the national executive.
Mchunu denied any wrongdoing, stating that he “stood ready to respond to the accusations” against him. In a statement, Mchunu said, “I welcome and respect the president’s decision and pledge my commitment to the process. Honour and integrity are the virtues I personally subscribe to and which we all need to make efforts to uphold.” Ramaphosa appointed law professor Firoz Cachalia as interim police minister.
The allegations were first made public by KwaZulu-Natal provincial police boss Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, who claimed Mchunu was receiving financial support from an allegedly corrupt businessman, Vusimuzi Matlala, to fund his “political endeavours.” Matlala had a lucrative contract with the police before it was abruptly cancelled when he was arrested for attempted murder in May. Gen Mkhwanazi shared copies of text messages and a payment allegedly made by Matlala to prove this.
According to Gen Mkhwanazi, Mchunu instructed the removal of 121 case files from a task force investigating political killings in KwaZulu-Natal without the authorization of his boss, national police commissioner Gen Fannie Masemola. “These case dockets have, since March, been sitting at the head office ever since without any investigation work done on them. Five of these dockets already had instructions to [effect] arrests,” Gen Mkhwanazi said.
The suspension of Mchunu has sparked public debate, with opposition parties calling for full transparency and accountability. Ramaphosa’s decision has been met with mixed reactions, with some applauding his commitment to due process and others criticizing the delay in responding to mounting evidence of corruption.