South African President Cyril Ramaphosa places police minister on leave amid criminal allegations
Ramaphosa has placed Police Minister Senzo Mchunu on immediate leave of absence following allegations of interference in law enforcement.
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has placed Police Minister Senzo Mchunu on immediate leave of absence following allegations of interference in law enforcement and links to criminal gangs.
Rampahosa's order, issued on Sunday, followed claims by KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi last week, alleging that Mchunu had actively interfered with police investigations and collaborated with a criminal syndicate by disbanding a unit investigating politically motivated killings.
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According to Mkhwanazi, the disbandment led to over 100 unresolved case files being removed from the team probing the killings, delaying progress on critical investigations.
Mchunu has, however, strongly denied the claims, publicly dismissing the allegations as unfounded and politically motivated.
President Ramaphosa, who campaigned on a platform to tackle corruption and restore credibility to South Africa's institutions, faced mounting pressure to respond to the revelations.
Civil society groups, opposition leaders, and members of his party have voiced concerns that the scandal undermines the integrity of the criminal justice system.
"These allegations, therefore, call for an urgent and comprehensive investigation," Ramaphosa said in a televised address.
He also announced the formation of a judicial commission of inquiry to investigate the matter and named law professor Firoz Cachalia as the acting Minister of Police.
"The Commission will investigate the role of current or former senior officials in certain institutions who may have aided or abetted the alleged criminal activity; or failed to act on credible intelligence or internal warnings; or benefited financially or politically from a syndicate's operations," Ramaphosa said.
The Democratic Alliance, the African National Congress's main coalition partner, has called for a parliamentary inquiry into the allegations, while at least one opposition party has pushed for Mchunu's immediate suspension.
Mchunu, a senior member of the ANC, has been seen as a potential contender for party leadership at the party's next elective conference in 2027. The outcome of this investigation could significantly affect his political future.
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