Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi Gives South Africans a Chilling Warning: “There Are Gadgets Listening to You”

• Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi warned about the bad apples within the Crime Intelligence unit
• The KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner noted how some members of the unit were able to listen to conversations
• General Mkhwanazi also touched on how some corrupt members had been part of the unit since 2011

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.

WESTERN CAPE - Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi has warned that there were members of Crime Intelligence listening in on people’s conversations.

The KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner made the concerning statement during his testimony before Parliament’s Ad Hoc Committee on Monday, 7 October 2025. General Mkhwanazi testified before the committee about his allegations of political interference and corruption within the criminal justice system.

Mkhwanazi makes concerning claims about listening devices

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During his testimony, KZN’s top cop turned his attention to Crime Intelligence (CI) and how Lieutenant-General Dumisani Khumalo was trying to fix it, but was now being targeted for it.

He stated that members of the CI were aware of top-secret things that should not be disclosed in public, and that if members ever revealed them, Parliamentarians would not be able to stomach it. He claimed that members had evidence that, if released, would be worse than the press briefing he conducted in July 2025.

He then said that if he were asked for an opinion, he would suggest closing down Crime Intelligence, removing all members, and starting afresh.

“I know names within crime intelligence that are bad. They were there in 2011; they are still here today. We have family members of the Mdlulis of this world that are still controlling gadgets that are listening to all of you, at crime intelligence,” he warned.

The Mduli in question is former Crime Intelligence head, Richard Mdluli. Mdluli is facing charges of corruption, fraud and theft relating to the police’s secret slush fund. He was charged alongside former South African Police Service (SAPS) Supply Chain Manager Heine Barnard and Chief Financial Officer Solomon Lazarus. The charges stem from their time in the Crime Intelligence Unit between 2008 and 2012.

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You can watch the moment below.

Mkhwanazi's statement was just one of the many bombshells he dropped during his testimony. He also alleged that members of Crime Intelligence were stealing money from the Secret Fund to use for personal purposes.

Mkhwanazi is continuing his testimony on Tuesday, 8 October 2025, as he answers questions by Parliamentarians.

Other stories from the committee hearings

Briefly News reported that there have been many notable moments during the eagerly anticipated Ad Hoc Committee hearings.

• The hearings were paused after Malema raised a point of order regarding the KZN police commissioner's statement.
• The MK Party’s David Skosana accused the legal team of embarrassing the Ad Hoc Committee.
• Mkhwanazi said that State money was used to build a wall around Nathi Mthethwa’s house.

Source: Briefly News