Africa-Press – South-Africa. Security has been beefed up outside the upmarket home of KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi.
This comes after the provincial top cop convened a press conference on Sunday and accused police minister Senzo Mchunu and senior police officials of interfering in political killings and being linked to organised crime.
Mkhwanazi said he was a hard-core police officer and was prepared to die for the police badge for telling the truth. “I chose to be a police officer, and in many years in my career I have been involved in combat,” he said.
When TimesLIVE drove past the property on Tuesday, heavily armed national intervention unit members stood guard outside. Vehicles including an SUV and a VW golf 7 were outside the property.
A concerned business owner who runs a bed and breakfast establishment on the same road said he was alarmed by the high police presence at the property.
“I spoke to them because some cars were parked on the pavement. They were reluctant to give me answers [about their sudden presence]. Instead they jokingly asked if I was not happy to see I was well protected,” said the resident.
He said he spoke to his paying guests. “I told my guests they should not panic about the police presence outside,” said the resident.
The resident, who has lived in the property for more than 40 years, said Mkhwanazi’s predecessors also occupied the property.
“It’s wonderful because we feel safe.”
Mkhwanazi also said he was prepared to die in the fight against criminals, some of whom he alleged were high-ranking police officials and politicians who were part of drug cartels in Gauteng.
Mchunu announced the disbandment of the political task team in January, saying it was no longer needed.
On Sunday Mkhwanazi said the task team had since its inception in 2018 investigated 612 dockets, arrested 436 suspects and had recovered 156 firearms, of which 55 were ballistically linked to politically related cases.
He said 35 police officials were arrested and charged for attempts to defeat the course of justice in the cases. A total of 128 accused were found guilty in 106 cases, and 29 were sentenced to life imprisonment. Others were sentenced to a wide range of jail terms.
Deputy national police commissioner Lt-Gen Shadrack Sibiya denied the allegations made by Mkhwanazi. He accused Mkhwanazi of breaching police protocols by voicing the allegations publicly instead of following police protocols.
“What Gen Mkhwanazi is doing is embarrassing. We are not going to bend to his level. There is no truth to what he is saying,” he said.
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