Madlanga Commission of Inquiry set to kick off in Pretoria

JOHANNESBURG - It's the start of a testing week for police, with the commission established to probe corruption and maladministration in the South African Police Service (SAPS) ranks set to kick off at the Brigitte Mabandla Justice College in Pretoria on Wednesday.

The commission, set up by President Cyril Ramaphosa, comes more than two months after KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi broke rank and exposed what many are calling an indictment of the country's criminal justice system.

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Mkhwanazi’s exposé triggered parliamentary debates, a presidential address, immense public scrutiny and a political fallout.

But four months prior to breaching police protocol and addressing the public, Mkhwanazi addressed Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Police about his concerns of political interference in SAPS.

On 5 March, Mkhwanazi told members of Parliament (MPs) on the police portfolio committee that he felt the decision to disband the contested political killings task team was politically motivated.

“This task team have gone beyond the borders of KwaZulu-Natal, have gone to the Gauteng province. There is a case they are investigating in Gauteng province. There is a case they are assisting in Gauteng. The case that involves a very senior police officer, who some of them might be in this platform that we are in right now, and that is part of what is causing the chaos in the South African Police Service.”

By then, Mkhwanazi had already named North West businessman Brown Mogotsi as someone who was interfering in police matters, alleging he was an associate of Minister of Police Senzo Mchunu.

Mchunu, who was later suspended, denied the claims.

“I am no associate to the person General Mkhwanazi is referring to. You would have at one point someone who is claiming to be your associate – it does happen.”

Senior police sources claim there is more to Mkhwanazi’s allegations, saying the SAPS remains a pawn on the political chessboard.