Ad Hoc Committee: Sauls Presents Claims Against KZN Hawks And General Mkhwanazi

• Ashley Sauls told Parliament the Hawks’ KwaZulu-Natal unit faces allegations of assault and attempted bribery, implicating Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi
• Sergeant Mlotshwa claims he was assaulted in December 2024, offered R5 million to drop his case, and that his house was deliberately set on fire
• The allegations have sparked public debate and social media reaction, while Mkhwanazi remains endorsed for a second term as KZN police commissioner

An explosive allegation was raised in Parliament on 19 January 2026 during the presentation of public submissions before the Parliamentary Ad Hoc Committee.

Member of Parliament Ashley Sauls told the committee that he had received an email from a police sergeant who claims to have filed criminal cases against members of the Hawks’ KwaZulu-Natal unit.

According to Sauls, the sergeant, identified as Sergeant Mlotshwa, alleges that he was assaulted on 9 December 2024 at a farm in Durban, and that SAPS KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi was present at the time. Sauls said the sergeant further claims that General Mkhwanazi participated in the alleged assault.

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Sauls reads email detailing an attempted bribe

Sauls emphasised that, at this stage, the claims remain allegations and that due process must be followed to establish the facts. He also told the committee that the email alleges an attempt to bribe Mlotshwa into withdrawing his case. According to Sauls, the sergeant claims that in April 2025, He received a call from a co-accused offering him R 5 million to drop the charges.

"When I asked where the offer had come from, he told him it was sent by 'Cat Matlala on behalf of General Mkhwanazi," the email reads.

Email alleges Mkhwanazi burned down sergeant's house

The email further alleges that Mlotshwa’s house, which was later reported to have burned down, was deliberately targeted. Sauls said the sergeant claims that General Mkhwanazi had lied in a television interview by stating that the house had burned down; when in fact a team had allegedly broken into the house the day before and returned the following day to set it alight.

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Sauls told the committee that Sergeant Mlotshwa wants to appear before it in person and that he claims to have an affidavit and supporting documents, including proof of the cases he says he has opened.

General Mkhwanazi is expected to reappear before the committee as its inquiry continues.

Social media reacted to this information

@ngcebo_mabaso said:

"Mkhwanazi does not have 5 million, lies!"

@ventparacat commented:

"There is more to the Mkhwanazi and Cat Matlala story. Don't be tricked into hating Sauls. Let him present his case fairly and his evidence tested. Don't forget, Mkhwanazi threatened to reveal more about anyone who would come for him. That on its own must be a red flag."

@sikie4 stated:

"It does not even make sense what his reading out. A made-up story."

@LexB1711 remarked:

"There is no way he will apologise to someone with 5 million for just beating him."

@BrianKitchin said:

"Of all things that never happened, this never happened the most."

In similar Ad Hoc committee news, forensic investigator Paul O’Sullivan has claimed there is an alleged plot to murder him linked to KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, prompting strong reactions from South Africans as he names the top cop in the alleged threat. O’Sullivan says he fears for his life if he appears before Parliament’s Ad Hoc Committee examining police conduct and has indicated this as a reason for refusing to testify in person. The allegations have intensified public debate over safety, accountability, and political interference in the ongoing inquiry.

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Previously, Briefly News reported that KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thami Ntuli has formally endorsed Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi for a second term as provincial police commissioner, reaffirming his confidence in Mkhwanazi’s leadership and ethical conduct. The endorsement follows detailed engagements with South African Police Service National Commissioner General Fannie Masemola and comes as Mkhwanazi’s current term is due to end in March 2026. Ntuli said the decision reflects satisfaction with the progress and crime-fighting initiatives under Mkhwanazi’s tenure and the need to maintain stability in law enforcement across the province.

Source: Briefly News