Suspended KZN Correctional Services Commissioner Arrested on Fraud and Money Laundering Charges
KWAZULU-NATAL – Mnikelwa Nxele has been arrested.
Source: Twitter
The suspended KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Correctional Services Commissioner was arrested on 23 June 2026 on fraud and money laundering charges. He is expected to appear before a KZN court soon.
Nxele was placed on precautionary suspension in May 2025 over corruption allegations; however, he claimed that he was targeted for blowing the whistle on massively inflated prison food supply contracts.
Nxele has been suspended for over a year
The provincial commissioner was originally placed on precautionary suspension on 9 May 2025, but there have been disputes over its duration. He was suspended over allegations of corruption, misrepresentation, and procurement irregularities, and the department was required to hold a disciplinary hearing within 60 days.
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Nxele sought a Labour Court order in July to declare that the suspension expired, allowing him to return to work, but the Labour Court ruled that the suspension period expired on 4 August 2025, not earlier, as it excluded weekends and public holidays.
He was suspended for another matter in August 2025 and remains suspended in June 2026.
Source: Briefly News
