‘I Am Not Corrupt’:Suspended KZN Prison Boss Mnikelwa Nxele Insists He Is Innocent

• Suspended KwaZulu-Natal Correctional Services Commissioner Mnikelwa Nxele insists he is innocent following his bail release
• Nxele claims he is being targeted and accuses senior correctional services leadership of influencing his arrest through alleged internal interference
• His case involves more than 1,500 fraud and money laundering charges dating back to 2004

SOUTH AFRICA - Suspended KwaZulu-Natal Correctional Services Commissioner Mnikelwa Nxele has publicly maintained his innocence following his release on R50,000 bail. He insists that the corruption and money laundering allegations against him are part of a wider effort to “brand” and discredit him.

Speaking in an interview with eNCA on 26 June 2026, Nxele strongly rejected claims that he is corrupt.

Nxele maintains he is innocent

He said it was “difficult to serve government” under circumstances where officials are allegedly subjected to what he described as malicious charges.

“It is difficult to serve government that will set you up on malicious charges like that,” Nxele said

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He added that he would not be pressured out of his position and intended to complete his full term within the department.

Nxele is facing more than 1,500 counts of fraud and money laundering, with allegations said to date back to between 2004 and 2023. The case comes shortly after he raised concerns about alleged inflated food pricing within the correctional services system.

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Strained relations with the National Commissioner

During the interview, Nxele also pointed to strained relations with national Correctional Services Commissioner Makgothi Thobakgale, accusing him of playing a role in his arrest. He claimed Thobakgale influenced individuals within the Independent Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC) to move against him.

“He knows that he influenced one or two people at IDAC to come and arrest me,” Nxele alleged.

However, Thobakgale has strongly denied any personal conflict with Nxele, dismissing the allegations as baseless and linking the matter to ongoing internal investigations and procurement-related probes within the department.

Nxele was granted bail of R50,000 by the court, with strict conditions that he must not interfere with witnesses, must remain at a fixed address, and surrender his passport. The case has been postponed to 16 September.

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Mkhwanazi says there is a war with IDAC

In related news, Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi claimed that there’s a war brewing with the country's criminal justice system. The KwaZulu-Natal Police Provincial Commissioner made the comments outside the Brooklyn Police Station in Pretoria, where Lieutenant General Dumisani Khumalo was asked to present himself. Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC) summoned the Crime Intelligence Head to report to the station, reportedly adding that he needed to bring an overnight bag, suggesting that he would be arrested.

Crime Intellience Head files complaint against IDAC

Briefly News reported that the legal representatives for Crime Intelligence Generals Dumisani Khumalo and Nosipho Madondo have escalated their fight against the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC) by lodging an urgent complaint with the Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development. The formal letter, dated 22 June 2026, alleges that IDAC is acting completely outside its legislative mandate and is conducting a malicious prosecution fueled by deep-rooted political in-fighting within the security cluster.

Source: Briefly News