Police Minister Senzo Mchunu, who has been on special leave since July, delivered a forceful denial of any connection to criminal cartels on Wednesday, testifying before the Ad Hoc Committee investigating allegations against KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner, Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi.
Minister Mchunu’s appearance on the fourth and final day of his testimony was marked by tense exchanges as he was questioned about his decision to disband a key police unit and his relationships with individuals linked to alleged underworld figures.
The committee heard that Mchunu was placed on special leave following accusations of political interference in the disbanding of the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT). He faced rigorous questioning about his association with North West businessman Brown Motzi, who is alleged to be his comrade and to have supplied confidential police information to alleged underworld figure Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala.
A central allegation, previously testified to by both General Fannie Masemola and General Mkhwanazi, is that Minister Mchunu disbanded the PKTT under the mistaken belief that it was a unit investigating drug cartels in KwaZulu-Natal.
“Are you aware of that?” Mchunu was asked.
“No, I deny that very strongly,” he responded.
When pressed on why two of the country’s most senior police officers would make such serious claims, Mchunu stated he was “still quite baffled” by the allegations.
“I’m associated with drug cartels,” Mchunu said, appearing to grapple with the claim. “Now, I’m saying in this room, there’s no drug cartel that I’m linked to. There’s none. and I’ve never acted in support directly or indirectly of any drug cartel in South Africa.”
The Minister reiterated that he knows Brown Mogotsi but denies ever knowing or meeting Kat Matlala. This denial sets the stage for potentially explosive testimony later in the inquiry. Earlier in the week, evidence leader Advocate Norman Arendse indicated the committee would call a witness to testify that Mchunu has a business relationship with Matlala and that the alleged figure was funding Mchunu’s campaign for the ANC presidency.
The committee also put it to Mchunu that a former minister would testify that Kat Matlala told him Mchunu and Mogotsi met with Matlala to discuss the campaign project.
“That would be a lie, an outright lie,” Mchunu preemptively stated. “If it were to happen it would be a lie even without me asking for evidence.”
Mchunu also dismissed previous testimony by General Mkhwanazi regarding a Gauteng-based criminal cartel dubbed the “Big Five.” Mchunu claimed he based his knowledge on a report from crime intelligence and National Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola, but clarified, “in the report as it turns out now there was no Big Five… but there were other cartels that were identified.”
While facing widespread skepticism, Minister Mchunu did receive a degree of backing from the Patriotic Alliance for his decision to disband the PKTT, though it came with significant reservations about his testimony concerning his relationships with Mogotsi and Matlala.
“I am not convinced by your testimony on your relationships with Mr. Brown Mogotsi and Mr. Matala. Your testimony there is very questionable. I don’t, I’m not convinced by it,” a committee member from the party stated. However, they concluded that based on the evidence, the minister’s directive to disband the unit was “correct,” citing a “grave misuse” of the task team.
The Ad Hoc Committee is set to continue its investigation and will hear testimony from former police minister Bheki Cele on Thursday.