KEY POINTS
- Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, KZN’s top cop, is under investigation for allegedly abusing his power to interfere in the arrest of a senior correctional services official accused of running a drug cartel in Westville Prison.
- Police Minister Senzo Mchunu has lodged a complaint with IPID, which has given Mkhwanazi until 19 March 2025 to submit a sworn statement regarding his involvement.
- The scandal highlights broader issues of corruption and criminal activity within South Africa’s prisons and law enforcement agencies, with Westville Prison being a focal point for illegal operations.
KwaZulu-Natal’s (KZN) top cop, Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, is embroiled in a high-profile scandal involving allegations of abusing his power and interfering in the arrest of a senior Department of Correctional Services official.
The official is accused of running a sophisticated drug cartel within the walls of Westville Prison, one of South Africa’s most notorious correctional facilities.
The controversy has drawn the attention of Police Minister Senzo Mchunu, who has lodged a formal complaint with the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID), the police watchdog tasked with investigating misconduct within the South African Police Service (SAPS).
IPID has since given Mkhwanazi a week to submit a sworn statement explaining his alleged involvement in the matter.
“IPID has requested the Provincial Commissioner to submit his sworn statement by 19 March 2025,” confirmed IPID spokesperson Lizzy Suping in an exclusive statement to TheCitizen.
A Web of accusations and counterclaims
The allegations against Mkhwanazi have sparked a wave of rumours and counterclaims, further complicating the situation.
In January, TheCitizen reported that KZN police had urged the public to stop spreading rumors about the Provincial Commissioner.
“Police refutes the allegations and accusations contained in that vile communique as baseless, unfounded, and as a cheap attempt to create instability within the police machinery, not only in the province but nationally,” said Colonel Robert Netshiunda, KZN police spokesperson.
Netshiunda also suggested that the allegations were part of a deliberate plot to sow discord within the police force. “The poorly plotted allegations aim to create enmity between Mkhwanazi and his seniors and colleagues in the province,” he added.
Meanwhile, Police Minister Senzo Mchunu’s spokesperson, Kamogelo Mogotsi, remained tight-lipped about the minister’s involvement in the IPID complaint. “I neither deny nor confirm the minister has laid the IPID complaint against Mkhwanazi,” Mogotsi told newsmen. She also declined to comment on allegations of a plot to discredit Mkhwanazi.
 top cop, Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, is embroiled in a scandal involving allegations of abusing his power.){kind=link}