South Africa’s Ramaphosa Suspends Police Minister Over Criminal-Link Allegations

Senzo Mchunu has been suspended over allegations of collusion with cartels and efforts to derail murder probes.

South African Police Minister Senzo Mchunu (C) in Stilfontein, South Africa, on Jan. 14, 2025. (Themba Hadebe/ AP).

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has suspended the country’s police minister over allegations of links to criminal activity.

Senzo Mchunu was put on immediate leave of absence on July 13, following accusations by a top police official that he had colluded with a criminal syndicate and interfered in high-profile investigations.

The allegations were made by KwaZulu-Natal Province Police Commissioner Lt. Gen. Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi on July 6.

Mkhwanazi made allegations about the existence and operation of a sophisticated criminal syndicate that has allegedly infiltrated law enforcement and intelligence structures in South Africa.

He alleges that the minister of police interfered with sensitive police investigations and colluded with businesspeople, including one person accused of murder, to disband a task team that focused on political killings.

Mkhwanazi also said a police investigation by the task team unmasked a syndicate controlled by a drug cartel, which involved politicians, law enforcement officials, metro police, correctional services, prosecutors, and the judiciary, as well as businesspeople.

Mkhwanazi also accused Deputy Police Commissioner Shadrack Sibiya of interfering with sensitive investigations.

Ramaphosa ordered a probe headed by a judge and announced Firoz Cachalia as the acting minister of police.

“These allegations, if proven true, threaten to undermine the confidence of South Africans in the ability of the South African Police Service to protect them and to effectively fight crime and corruption,” Ramaphosa said in a statement on July 13.

“South Africans are concerned about corruption and the rise of criminality in our country, which manifests itself in the killing of innocent people, gender-based violence, gang violence, kidnappings, construction mafia criminality, and many others.”

Mchunu has denied the allegations. Posting on his official account on social media platform X on July 13, he said he welcomed and respected the president’s decision and pledged his “commitment to the process.”

“Honour and integrity are the virtues I personally subscribe to and which we all need to make efforts to uphold. I stand ready to respond to the accusations against me and account to the citizens of the Republic, fully and honestly so,” he wrote.

Speaking to the SABC News shortly after the allegations aired, Sibiya also denied any wrongdoing and said that Mkhwanazi “must stop behaving like a warlord.”

Ramaphosa has been president of South Africa since 2018 and is the leader of the ruling party, the African National Congress (ANC).

According to a report in the Mail & Guardian, Mchunu has been an ally of Ramaphosa; however, the president has vowed to crack down on corruption.

According to nonprofit organization Freedom House, there is widespread corruption within the ANC. Party officials have been accused of “buying delegates’ votes to the party conference and paying bribes to influence political appointments.”

“We will not stop until every person responsible for corruption is held to account,” Ramaphosa said in a speech last year.

“We will not stop until all stolen money has been recovered. We will not stop until corruption is history.

“The real tragedy of state capture was that it diverted attention and resources away from what government should have been doing, which is to grow our economy and create jobs.”

The ANC stated that it welcomed the announcement about Mchunu.

“This decisive action reaffirms the President’s commitment to the rule of law. It is a clear demonstration of the seriousness with which the President and government respond to allegations of corruption and criminal conduct, regardless of who is involved,” the party stated on July 14.

In May, U.S. President Donald Trump and Ramaphosa clashed during a meeting at the White House.

Trump presented videos showing evidence of “Afrikaner genocide” after Ramaphosa rejected the claims, denying that any such genocide was taking place in South Africa.

“We are essentially here to reset the relationship between the United States and South Africa,” Ramaphosa told Trump.

Emel Akan contributed to this report.