Ramaphosa Responds to Proposal to Make General Mkhwanazi New Hawks Boss
- President Cyril Ramaphosa confirmed that KZN police commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi was being considered for the Hawks top position
- Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia submitted a memorandum to Cabinet last week, with a decision expected at the earliest upcoming Cabinet meeting
- Political parties ActionSA and Forum4SA have backed Mkhwanazi's potential appointment, citing his role in exposing criminal infiltration in law enforcement
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SOUTH AFRICA — President Cyril Ramaphosa has confirmed that Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, the KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner, is being considered for appointment as the national head of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI), commonly known as the Hawks.
Speaking to journalists on the sidelines of a Premier Soccer League visit, Ramaphosa stated that the matter had been formally submitted to Cabinet and that a public announcement would follow once a decision was reached.
Ramaphosa said the name of General Mkhwanazi has been put forward; it will go to Cabinet, and when Cabinet has decided, the announcement will be made.
Cabinet to decide on Mkhwanazi's appointment
Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia submitted a memorandum to Cabinet last week requesting approval for the appointment. The memorandum is expected to be tabled at the earliest available Cabinet sitting. Ramaphosa confirmed that no details of the Cabinet deliberations would be made public ahead of that meeting.
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Mkhwanazi came to national prominence in July 2025 after holding a media briefing in which he alleged that an organised criminal syndicate had penetrated South Africa's criminal justice system. The revelations prompted Ramaphosa to establish the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry, which was tasked with investigating corruption and criminal infiltration within law enforcement and other state institutions. Since then, the commission's proceedings have resulted in the arrest of several law enforcement officials.
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ActionSA back the move
The proposed appointment has drawn substantial support. ActionSA endorsed Cachalia's proposal. The party's MP Dereleen James noted that Mkhwanazi's 2025 disclosures had set in motion a chain of events that led to arrests, suspensions and dismissals among senior police officials. ActionSA maintained that stronger institutional leadership was essential to rebuilding public trust in the country's law enforcement agencies.
Paul O'Sullivan criticises possible Mkhwanazi Hawks appointment
In contrast,forensic investigator Paul O' Sullivan slammed a possible Mkhwanazi promotion to the Hawks. O'Sullivan threatened an urgent judicial review proceedings to block the proposed appointment. He warned that his organisation, Forensics for Justice, would challenge the appointment in court unless the government either suspended the process or subjected it to public scrutiny.
Mkhwanazi addresses Hawks members
Previously, Briefly News reported that General Mkhwanazi addressed members of the Hawks, where he asked for an end of corruption in the police force. Mkhwanazi held a closed meeting on 16 February 2026, to debrief officers following the revelations at both the Madlanga Commission and the Parliamentary Ad-Hoc Committee.
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Source: Briefly News
