Policing Expert Hails General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi After Explosive Press Conference

• KwaZulu-Natal's police commissioner, Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi's allegations of a criminal syndicate left many questions in South Africans' minds
• He said members of the judiciary, top police officers, and even politicians are involved in a nationwide drug syndicate
• Briefly News spoke to Dr Tinyiku Ngoveni, the Chair of the University of South Africa's School of Criminal Justice, about the explosive allegations

With 10 years’ experience, Tebogo Mokwena, a current affairs writer for Briefly News, provided insights into the criminal justice system, crime statistics, and high-profile cases in South Africa at Daily Sun.

PRETORIA — The allegations KwaZulu-Natal's provincial commissioner, Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, made against Police Minister Senzo Mchunu, top cop General Shadrack Sibiya, and politicians have resulted in an outcry from the public and private sectors.

As calls for action mount, the University of South Africa's Chair of the School of Criminal Justice, Dr Tinyiku Ngoveni, spoke to Briefly News about the allegations' impact.

Policing expert weighs in

Ngoveni, who has a Master's and PhD in Policing, said that the high volumes of various crimes such as cash-in-transit heists, kidnappings for ransom, hijacking, murder, rape, drug manufacturing, and construction mafia must be given attention as worrisome crimes, placing every citizen at risk.

He told Briefly News that Mkhwanazi's statements were God's grace to rescue the country before it reaches a point of no return. He cited the killings of whistleblowers like Babita Deokaran, who was killed in 2021 for reporting corruption, and Ekurhuleni municipality auditor Mpho Mafole, who was killed in July, as examples of citizens who died for shining the light on corruption.

Ngoveni questions meeting between top cops

Ngoveni told Briefly News that the meeting, which took place between Mkhwanazi, South African Police Service's National Commissioner Fannie Masemola, Deputy National Police Commissioner General Shadrack Sibiya, and Senzo Mchunu, who was placed on special leave on 13 July, left citizens with more questions.

"The revelations by Mkhwanazi expressed the torture and distress he experienced within that meeting. He expressed something that was not achievable in a space where protocol can be observed," he added.

"The revelation is not by Mkhwanazi for Mkhwanazi per se, but he acted on behalf of other police officers' concerns, especially those in managerial positions. The action will further play an important part in resuscitating the SAPS in general, whether Mhwaanzi is in or out," he said.

Political parties slam Ramaphosa's family meeting

In a related article, Briefly News reported that various political parties weighed in on President Cyril Ramaphosa's family meeting on 13 July, where he placed Mchunu on special leave. Ramaphosa also announced that a Commission of Inquiry has been established to probe Mkhwanazi's allegations of widespread corruption and crime in the country.

The Democratic Alliance said that Ramaphosa squandered an opportunity to showcase his leadership. The Economic Freedom Fighters said Ramaphosa's decision to replace Mchunu with a non-minister was illegal. The MK Party called his statement pathetic.

Source: Briefly News