The press conference that shook South Africa to its core in 2025

On July 6, 2025, KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Provincial Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi held a high-profile media briefing at the South African Police Service (SAPS) Provincial Headquarters in Durban. 

The event was framed as an update on the work of the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT), a specialised unit investigating assassinations and politically motivated violence in KZN and beyond. 

However, it quickly escalated into what has been described as one of the most explosive public indictments of corruption and interference in South Africa’s criminal justice system in recent years.

It sparked a nationwide quest to determine whether the country’s criminal justice system has been captured, and if so, to what extent.

Mkhwanazi appeared in full SAPS Special Task Force regalia, flanked by masked officers armed with automatic weapons.

He declared himself “combat ready” and willing to “die for the people of South Africa,” emphasising that the briefing was a last resort after internal channels failed to address systemic rot. 

His statements accused high-level figures of enabling criminal syndicates to infiltrate SAPS, the judiciary, intelligence agencies, and politics, effectively “capturing” the justice system and allowing political killings to go unpunished.

Mkhwanazi stated he had exhausted internal reporting without action, justifying the public disclosure. He later filed criminal charges against Mchunu for alleged interference.

What were some of the allegations?

Of the many allegations made, Mkhwanazi claimed that:

• Political interference in the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT): 

He said that 121 active case dockets from the PKTT, investigating high-profile political murders, had been unlawfully removed from the province.

They were then transferred to national headquarters, allegedly under orders from Deputy National Commissioner for Crime Detection Lieutenant General Shadrack Sibiya. 

This followed Police Minister Senzo Mchunu’s January 2025 executive decision to disband the task team without provincial consultation, citing “budget inefficiencies.”

Mkhwanazi claimed this left cases “gathering dust,” potentially impacting upcoming municipal elections, and accused Mchunu of prioritising political interests over justice.

• Minister Senzo Mchunu’s alleged ties to criminal associates:

Mkhwanazi presented WhatsApp chats from seized cellphones linking Police Minister Senzo Mchunu to businessman Vusumuzi “Cat” Matlala, a suspect in an attempted murder case, and Brown Mogotsi, an alleged ANC-linked associate.

He alleged Mogotsi had access to classified SAPS Crime Intelligence briefings and lobbied for favors, including influencing investigations and lobbying for the arrest of Mkwanazi.

Mkhwanazi highlighted a R360 million irregular SAPS healthcare tender awarded to Matlala’s company in 2024, later canceled by National Commissioner General Fannie Masemola in May 2025.

He accused Mchunu of misleading Parliament in March 2025 by denying any relationship with Mogotsi under oath.

• Broader systemic corruption:

Mkhwanazi warned of “collusion between criminals, senior police, prosecutors, intelligence operatives, and elements of the judiciary,” describing a “total collapse” risk if unaddressed.

He claimed jurisdictional interference by the State Security Agency’s Intelligence and Defence Acquisition Committee (IDAC), a moratorium on Crime Intelligence vacancies imposed by Mchunu, and rogue elements within SAPS “controlling the system” via voice recordings and hidden networks.

He claimed that political killings in KZN were being derailed to protect syndicates.

The aftermath

The briefing sparked national outrage, with Mchunu dismissing the claims as “wild and baseless” and Sibiya calling it a “succession battle.”

Public support rallied behind Mkhwanazi, with protests and calls for accountability.

President Cyril Ramaphosa noted the statements in a July 6 address, emphasising national security implications, suspending the police minister pending investigation.

Mkhwanazi’s allegations directly prompted two key investigative bodies, both established in July 2025 to probe the claims’ veracity, extent, and implications.

• Judicial Commission of Inquiry (Madlanga Commission):

Announced by Ramaphosa on July 15, 2025, and chaired by retired Constitutional Court Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga, this public inquiry investigates “criminality, political interference, and corruption in the criminal justice system.”

Hearings began September 17, 2025, with Mkhwanazi testifying first.

The commission has focused on PKTT disbandment, tender irregularities, and intelligence leaks, with interim reports due to the President.

• Parliamentary Ad-Hoc Committee:

Adopted by the National Assembly on July 23, 2025, following a joint report from the Portfolio Committees on Police and Justice and Constitutional Development.

Led by evidence leader Adv. Norman Arendse SC, it assesses security implications and holds public hearings.

Engagements began in October 2025, the committee invited public submissions in September and has probed related issues like Mchunu’s alleged misleading of Parliament.

It runs concurrently with the Madlanga Commission.