Madlanga Commission: Major General Gopaul Alleges Political Interference by Senzo Mchunu

• Major General Anthony Gopaul testified at the Madlanga Commission that suspended police minister Senzo Mchunu improperly sought information about a murder
• Gopaul said such direct engagement with a minister was a breach of protocol, as officers are not to interact with political figures without direction
• He emphasised that Mchunu’s actions crossed established boundaries, highlighting concerns over potential political interference

PRETORIA- The chain of command within the South African Police Service (SAPS) came under sharp focus on Monday, 26 January 2026, at the Madlanga Commission, where Major General Anthony Gopaul testified about what he described as improper interference by suspended police minister Senzo Mchunu.

Gopaul, the acting KZN Deputy commissioner and district commissioner of iLembe, told the commission that strict protocol governs how senior police officers engage with political figures and how he found Mchunu's probing into ANC ward councillor Phendukani Mabhida's murder, a 'crossing of boundaries'.

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Gopaul details interaction with Mchunu

While interaction with local and district mayors is standard practice, he said direct contact with national politicians and provincial ministers is tightly controlled as officers are expected to report through their direct line managers.

“In my case, that would be General Mkhwanazi. I take direction from him,” Gopaul explained.

In his testimony, Gopaul detailed his interactions with Mchunu, which he said arose in the context of two sensitive matters: local by-elections and the murder of municipal official Mabhida in February 2025. The killing, he said, was linked to allegations of corruption within the municipality and was being investigated by the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT).

Gopaul further said Mchunu questioned why the matter was passed to the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT), and not the local police station, as he had instructed. Gopaul answered that he believed the expertise, the knowledge of modus operandi and their ability to link to similar cases made him take the decision to hand the case over to the PKTT.

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Gopaul said Mchunu crossed a boundary

Gopaul told the commission that he believed Mchunu had crossed a boundary by seeking information about the Mabhida murder directly from him, rather than through the PKTT or the provincial commissioner.

When asked what he made of Mchunu’s decision to approach him for information, Gopaul replied that his protocol training made it clear that such conduct was inappropriate.

“My protocol training tells me it is inappropriate. But I cannot speak to what the minister’s protocol is, or what boundaries politicians are allowed to cross,” he said.

Drawing on his decades of experience, Gopaul told the commission that such interactions were unheard of in his career.

“My 35 years of historical, institutionalised protocol, it is not normal for me to interact with the minister without the direction of my principal,” he said.

His testimony is expected to weigh heavily on the commission’s assessment of whether political interference undermined police investigations, particularly in cases linked to political violence and alleged corruption in KwaZulu-Natal.

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Articles on Senzo Mchunu at the Madlanga Commission

Previously, Briefly News reported that Senzo Mchunu said he is unfazed by revelations at the Madlanga Commission and welcomed the opportunity to present his side of the story amid allegations of political interference in SAPS operations. He maintained that he will fully engage with the commission’s process and has not been shaken by testimony implicating him in undue influence over police investigations. Mchunu’s comments came as he addressed the public at an event, reiterating his readiness to face the inquiry and defend his record.

In more news, further testimony from the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry revealed that a bodyguard for murder-accused businessman Katiso “KT” Molefe reportedly told arresting officers that Molefe and Senzo Mchunu were friends. The claim emerged during the recounting of Molefe’s high-profile arrest, where the bodyguard allegedly insisted Molefe was close to the then-police minister, although this was presented indirectly through a third party rather than direct evidence.

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Source: Briefly News