Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi Accuses Presidency of Interfering With Investigations

• KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Commissioner General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi revealed that the Presidency tried to disrupt policing
• He testified on the second day of the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry's public hearings in Tshwane
• Mkhwanazi said that the presidency reportedly meddled in the investigation of the murder of a general manager at a mine

Tebogo Mokwena, Briefly News’ Deputy Head of the Current Affairs desk, South Africa, covered a range of criminal activities, including cash-in-transit heists, kidnappings, taxi violence, police investigations, police shootouts, and court cases at Daily Sun for over three years.

PRETORIA, GAUTENG — KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Commissioner General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi said that the Presidency interfered with the work of the South African Police Service (SAPS) in the province for the benefit of a mining company. He made the revelation on the second day of the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry's public hearings on 19 September 2025.

According to Mkhwanazi, who spoke at the Brigitte Mabandla Justice College in Tshwane, the Presidency interfered in the investigation of Nico Swart's murder in 2021. Swart was the general manager of Richards Bay Minerals (RBM) when he was murdered. Mkhwanazi had dispatched a team of detectives to assist in investigating Swart and other murder cases. However, the detectives were unsuccessful.

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Mkhwanazi receives call from Masemola

Mkhwanazi said that after he recalled the detectives as a cost-saving measure, he received a phone call from National Commissioner General Fannie Masemola. Masemola asked him if he deployed a team of detectives for a mission. Mkhwanazi confirmed that he recalled them to the Durban office to continue the investigations there. Mkhwanazi said that Masemola ordered him to send the detectives back as he received a complaint from the Presidency.

Mkhwanazi's testimony at Madlanga Commission of Inquiry

Mkhwanazi began his testimony on 18 September and revealed that the justice system in the country faces the risk of collapse. He implicated politicians and members of parliament, including the National Coloured Congress President Fadiel Adams and the Democratic Alliance's Dianne Kohler Barnard. He also implicated Ekurhuleni top cop General Julius Mkhwanazi and his alleged ties to attempted murder accused Vusimuzi "Cat" Matlala.

What you need to know about the Commission of Inquiry

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• The uMkhonto we Sizwe Party lost its bid to stop the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry from continuing when they appeared before the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria.
• Mkhwanazi said on 18 September that the justice system allowed repeated offenders to walk free, and used the example of Fisokuhle Ntuli, who is on trial for the murder of footballer Senzo Meyiwa.
• Radio presenter Dr Mbuyiseni Ndlozi proposed that President Cyril Ramaphosa and Ian Cameron appear before the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry.
• Mkhwanazi refused to shake the hand of one of the attendees at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry, Dennis Victor Bloem.
• DJ Warras reacted to Mkhwanazi refusing to shake hands with Bloem and shared a theory about why Mkhwanazi refused to shake hands.

Mkhwanazi slams MP Fadiel Adams

In a similar article, Briefly News reported that Mkhwanazi slammed Adams during his testimony. He accused him of having access to sensitive crime intelligence information.

Adams responded to Mkhwanazi's allegations. He defended himself and said that he received the information from an unknown source who slipped it under his office door.

Proofreading by Roxanne Dos Ramos, copy editor at Briefly.co.za.

Source: Briefly News