Beleaguered Police Minister Senzo Mchunu was placed on a leave of absence, with immediate effect, by President Cyril Ramaphosa.
He also announced the appointment of a commission of enquiry to probe claims made by KwaZulu/Natal police commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi at a press briefing last Sunday.
Professor Firoz Cachalia will be acting Minister of Police from the beginning of August.
Cachalia is a professor of law at the University of the Witwatersrand.
The proposed judicial commission of inquiry chaired by Acting Deputy Chief Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga.
Justice Madlanga is retiring from the Constitutional Court at the end of this month “after years of
distinguished service, and will therefore be able to give his full time and attention to the work of this commission”.
Justice Madlanga will be assisted by Advocate Sesi Baloyi SC and Advocate Sandile Khumalo SC, President Ramaphosa said.
The President, who was away at a BRICS Summit in Brazil when Mkhwanazi dropped the bombshell, reiterated the facts thus:
“Lt Gen Mkhwanazi alleged that the Minister of Police allegedly interfered with sensitive police investigations and colluded with business people, including a murder accused, to disband the Political Killings Task Team based in KwaZulu-Natal.”
President Ramaphosa repeated during the much-anticipated address that Lieutenant-General Mkhwanazi had said that a police investigation by the task team in Gauteng unmasked a syndicate controlled by a drug cartel, “which involves politicians, law enforcement officials from the SAPS, metro police and correctional services, prosecutors and the judiciary, as well as business people”.
