Despite Mounting Links to Drug Syndicates, Police Minister Remains Untouchable.
Top KZN Cop Mkhwanazi Blasts Police Minister “Cartels in Charge” Yet He Remains in Office

Top KZN Cop Mkhwanazi Blasts Police Minister “Cartels in Charge” Yet He Remains in Office
Johannesburg, 12 July 2025
In an unprecedented public confrontation, KwaZulu‑Natal Provincial Police Commissioner Lt‑Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi has directly accused Police Minister Senzo Mchunu of colluding with drug cartels and suppressing politically motivated murder investigations. These allegations, if proven, represent a systemic failure at the highest levels of state security.
⚠️ Mkhwanazi Drops the Bombshell
At a dramatic press conference on 6 July, Mkhwanazi claimed Mchunu and Deputy Commissioner Shadrack Sibiya ordered the disbandment of the Political Killings Task Team and froze 121 criminal dockets many containing arrest-ready evidence linked to a Gauteng-based crime cartel.
He cited damning WhatsApp messages and financial transactions involving Brown Mogotsi and businessman Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala whose firms received R360 million in SAPS contracts suggesting payoffs and collusion.
“Politicians, prosecutors, judiciary, metro police… all controlled by cartels,” Mkhwanazi warned, pledging to continue the fight and urging national criminal investigations .
🚨 Fallout: Politics on Edge
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President Ramaphosa, currently at the BRICS summit, cut his trip short, labelling the scandal a “matter of grave national security concern,” and returned urgently to address it.
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The ANC acknowledged the severity; the EFF and DA demand Mchunu’s suspension, parliament debate, and immediate investigations.
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Ian Cameron, chair of the Police Portfolio Committee, has petitioned for a rapid parliamentary session to address the allegations.
🧩 Why This Still Matters
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Task Team Impact: Since 2018, they'd opened 612 dockets, led to 436 arrests, 128 convictions (29 life sentences), including officers directly challenging police corruption.
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Cartel Infiltration: Ballistic links connect seized weapons to unsolved murders of high-profile artists hinting at deeper syndicate-state collusion.
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Public Security Risk: With South Africa experiencing nearly 70 murders a day, the dismantling of crucial investigative teams poses serious threats to national stability.
Despite the mounting scandal, Minister Mchunu remains in office, dismissing allegations as “baseless insinuations,” while political and civic pressure builds for a full judicial inquiry
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