Hands Off Mkhwanazi March Takes Over Durban, Residents Show Support for KZN Police Commissioner

• Residents of Durban gathered to show support for Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi following his allegations
• The KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Police Commissioner detailed cases of corruption and political interference within the police
• Marchers praised KZN's top cop for highlighting corruption, as some criticised President Cyril Ramaphosa for not doing more

Briefly News journalist Byron Pillay has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He spent 10 years working for the Northern Natal Courier before transitioning to online journalism.

KWAZULU-NATAL – Support for Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi continues to grow as people from all walks of life are rallying behind the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Police Commissioner.

The province’s top cop has garnered even more support of late, following his explosive allegations about corruption within the South African Police Service. Mkhwanazi held a press briefing on 6 July 2025, during which he provided details about corruption and political interference within the police force.

He also implicated Police Minister Senzo Mchunu, which ultimately led to President Cyril Ramaphosa placing the minister on leave while a Commission of Inquiry investigates the claims.

What is happening in Durban?

Following marches in KZN and Johannesburg by the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party on 14 July 2025, civil society groups and citizens took to the streets in Durban on 15 July to show their support for Mkhwanazi.

The ‘Hands Off Mkhwanazi’ march in the city saw crowds start to gather at Durban's Curries Fountain, before continuing through the streets of Durban. It’s expected to end at Hoy Park, which is close to the Durban Magistrates Court.

People of all genders and races joined the march, as they rallied behind KZN’s Police Commissioner. One gentleman from the Bluff who spoke to the media stated that they were backing Lieutenant-General Mkhwanazi because there was a need to eradicate corruption in the country.

“We believe that in this country we don’t actually have a racism problem, we’ve got a corruption problem,” he said.

Crowd wants Ramaphosa to resign

While the march centred around support for the provincial police commissioner, others used it to focus on President Cyril Ramaphosa. Some in the crowd could be heard chanting Cyril must go, as they expressed unhappiness with the president’s decision not to take more decisive action following the allegations.

Calls have been growing in recent days for a national shutdown, as more and more South Africans have lost confidence in the president of the country. Political parties and ordinary citizens have weighed in on the president's decision, with some accusing him of protecting Mchunu.

What you need to know about Mkhwanazi's allegations

• President Cyril Ramaphosa responded to the allegations Mkhwanazi made, saying he was sowing confusion.
• The uMkhonto weSizwe Party, the Democratic Alliance, and the Economic Freedom Fighters reacted to the allegations.
• Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla promised that action would be taken if anything happened to Mkhwanazi.
• Security has been tightened outside the KZN Police Commissioner’s home as he received some threats.
• The MK Party blasted Cyril Ramaphosa for taking so long to address the allegations made by Mkhwanazi.
• Senzo Mchunu was placed on leave by the president in response to the allegations of corruption.

MK Party protests in support of Mkhwanazi

Briefly News reported that the MK Party organised a protest march to throw their weight behind the KZN Police Commissioner.

The party's Gauteng branch said the march was a build-up to an expected shutdown that will take place soon.

The party held the march in Johannesburg, but the KZN branch also took to the streets to show support on 14 July.

Source: Briefly News