Mchunu unveils crime-fighting strategy
He's assured South Africans he's spearheading amplified initiatives to crush criminal activity.
Mchunu says the strategy is aimed at protecting the vulnerable, rooting out criminality, and rebuilding the public's trust.
Stressing the urgency of the police mission, the minister highlighted the devastating impact of gang warfare in Cape Town, saying the metro's recent four waves of gang violence have claimed eighteen lives.
The budget allocates R219.2-million to police the G20 conference later this year, R400-million for next year's Local Government Elections, and nearly R35-million to support the appointment of an additional Deputy Police Minister.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Citizen
an hour ago
- The Citizen
MK party wants Mchunu arrested amid explosive allegations
KZN police commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi accused Mchunu of involvement in the disbandment of the SAPS' political killings task team for ulterior motives. The MK party has demanded the 'immediate arrest' of Police Minister Mchunu following explosive allegations against the minister and senior officials within the South African Police Service (Saps In a briefing on Sunday, KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) police commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi alleged political interference in police operations, claiming that Mchunu and Deputy National Commissioner for Crime Detection, Shadrack Sibiya had meddled in the work of the task team, including issuing letters to disband it, halt crime intelligence appointments, and withdraw case dockets to Sibiya's office. Claims He claimed that the disbandment of the police's political killings task team was due to the unit uncovering links between a powerful drug cartel and high-ranking politicians – including Mchunu – as well as police officers and prosecutors. The provincial police commissioner has registered a criminal case against Mchunu as a result. ALSO READ: 'We don't want him to be a pop star': Allegations by KZN police commissioner Mkhwanazi sparks uproar Arrest The MK party has extended its commendations and full support to Mkhwanazi. 'General Mkhwanazi has demonstrated profound courage and integrity, especially in the face of adversity. 'The MK party demands the immediate arrest of Police Minister Senzo Mchunu, based on prima facie evidence of criminal conduct as presented by General Mkhwanazi. This is not a political appeal to the President, it is a direct demand to law enforcement,' the MK party said. 'No delays' The MK party said National Police Commissioner, General Fannie Masemola, together with Mkhwanazi, 'must act without delay.' 'The evidence implicating Minister Mchunu is serious and calls for the law to take its course. No one is above the law and any further inaction will only confirm suspicions of institutional protection and political interference. 'Given the weight of the allegations, the arrest must be carried out without any further delay. The integrity of our democratic institutions and the safety of our citizens should always be paramount. Any efforts that hint at sabotaging justice and truth, regardless of the source, must be eradicated,' the MK party said. Ramaphosa concerned Meanwhile, the Presidency said it had noted Mkhwanazi's allegations. According to the Presidency, President Cyril Ramaphosa will address the matter when he returns to the country from Brazil, where a Brics Leaders' Summit is currently taking place. 'This is a matter of grave national security concern that is receiving the highest priority attention. It is vital that the integrity of the country's security services is safeguarded and that the rule of law is affirmed,' the president said. 'All parties to this matter are called upon to exercise discipline and restraint. The trading of accusations and counter-accusations threatens to undermine public confidence and sow confusion. 'Furthermore, these actions damage the unity and focus of the police,' Ramaphosa added. NOW READ: Fifth suspect arrested for City of Tshwane transformer theft
The Citizen
an hour ago
- The Citizen
Fifth suspect arrested for City of Tshwane transformer theft
The suspects are linked to the theft of a R7-million transformer from the Laudium substation. A fifth suspect believed to be part of a syndicate involved in the theft of a seven-million-rand transformer at a substation in the City of Tshwane has been arrested. The man was handcuffed on Sunday after he handed himself over to the police. Arrests This brings the number of suspects arrested for the theft of the transformer to five. Police spokesperson Colonel Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi said the investigation revealed that the suspect was the potential buyer for the stolen transformer, and a warrant of arrest was issued for him. 'He is expected to make his first court appearance on 07 July 2025 at Atteridgeville court. Last week, three municipal workers allegedly involved in the theft of a transformer from the Laudium substation were arrested. The fourth suspect was arrested on June 27, 2025. ALSO READ: Tshwane officials arrested for theft of transformer in Laudium Court Siphiwe Mahlangu (45), Thomas Baloyi (41) and Daniel Kubayi (50), who are all City of Tshwane employees, appeared in the Atteridgeville Magistrates Court for a formal bail application. The trio are facing charges of theft of essential infrastructure and will remain in custody pending their next court appearance on July 8th. Investigation Nevhuhulwi said a thorough investigation by Gauteng Organised Crime Unit led to the arrest of three employees from City of Tshwane Municipality last week. 'Their arrest follows an ongoing investigation which started last year, November, where 11 suspects were initially arrested for stealing a transformer at Laudium substation worth approximately R7 million. 'The 10 suspects who were sub contractors were released after they could not be linked to the crime and one who is an employee of the municipality remained behind bars and has since made several court appearance and is currently remanded in custody until 08 August 2025,' Nevhuhulwi said. Praise Tshwane District Commissioner Major General Samuel Thine commended the team for their ongoing efforts to deal with this crime. The police stated that they will continue to work diligently to dismantle the syndicates that target essential infrastructure and related crimes, as this has a detrimental impact on the country's economy. ALSO READ: Community foils attempted theft of transformers at Claudius Substation [VIDEO]
Daily Maverick
3 hours ago
- Daily Maverick
SAPS commissioner accuses police minister of derailing probe into political killings
KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi has alleged that senior figures, including Police Minister Senzo Mchunu, undermined investigations into political killings and organised crime. Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, the KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner, on Sunday claimed that the disbandment of the Political Killings Task Team was orchestrated to shield politically connected members of a criminal syndicate from prosecution, with the assistance of Police Minister Senzo Mchunu. Mkhwanazi said, 'I can confirm before South Africans today that the investigation which these members were involved with in Gauteng has unmasked the syndicate, and this syndicate involves, amongst others, politicians who are currently serving in Parliament.' He said some syndicate members were in 'the South African Police Service, the metro police and Correctional Services. They include prosecutors in Gauteng province, the judiciary … and all these are controlled by the drug cartel and businesspeople in Gauteng. This act, of course, undermines the criminal justice system in this country.' In a presentation shared to accompany the briefing, Mkhwanazi outlined the allegations. The Political Killings Task Team was formed after the 2018 assassination of ANC activist Musawenkosi 'Qashana' Mchunu. Backed by a multi-agency presidential task force and praised for its prosecution-led, intelligence-driven strategy, the team had, by 2025, investigated more than 600 politically related dockets, arrested 436 suspects, and recovered 156 firearms, with at least 55 of them linked to political crimes. Convictions to date total over 1,800 years in prison across more than 100 cases. Daily Maverick reported that on 31 December 2024, Police Minister Mchunu issued a letter to National Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Fannie Masemola, requesting that the team be disbanded. The minister said the task team was no longer necessary because it did not add value to policing in the province, according to the SABC. Despite this instruction, Mkhwanazi said at the time he would continue the fight to ensure the task team was allowed to proceed with high-profile investigations. Mkhwanazi said members of the task team were working with detectives in Gauteng on possible cover-ups in murder cases in the province that involved senior police officers. The disbandment of the task team was followed by a series of internal memos from SAPS Crime Detection head Lieutenant General Shadrack Sibiya withdrawing 121 case dockets from the team without the approval of the national or provincial commissioners. These dockets have reportedly sat untouched at the SAPS head office ever since. WhatsApp messages Sunday's briefing included explosive revelations such as WhatsApp messages and screenshots allegedly sourced from the phone of accused businessman Vusimuzi 'Cat' Matlala, showing communication between Matlala, Minister Mchunu and a politically connected intermediary, Brown Mogotsi. The chats suggest knowledge of the task team's disbandment before it was made public, direct discussions of 'solutions' to investigations and apparent financial support for political campaigns and 8 January ANC events. Matlala was arrested by the task team in May and faces charges of attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder and money laundering. Less than two weeks later, the Investigative Directorate Against Corruption moved to seize the task team's exhibits, including Matlala's cellphone, and arrested the team's project coordinator. One of the syndicate suspects arrested by the team, Katiso Molefe, was granted bail. The effect, Mkhwanazi said on Sunday, had been chilling, with the Gauteng investigations into organised crime 'compromised' and confidence in the State's willingness to prosecute politically connected suspects further eroded. The EFF expressed grave concern, saying the briefing laid bare 'the existence of a powerful, organised criminal syndicate operating at the highest levels of the South African state'. The EFF urged the chairperson on Parliament's Portfolio Committee on Police, Ian Cameron, to convene an urgent portfolio committee sitting for a briefing from Mchunu. Cameron said the DA had written to National Assembly Speaker Thoko Didiza for an urgent debate in Parliament on corruption within the SAPS. 'These disturbing allegations of corruption, political interference and malfeasance at the very top of South Africa's law enforcement and national security infrastructure must be investigated immediately,' said Cameron. 'The President of the republic, who is presently away, must also immediately respond to allegations against a Cabinet minister.' 'Great role model' On social media on Sunday, Eskom board chairperson Mteto Nyati called Mkhwanazi 'a great role model' and said his 'decision to speak out' was 'exemplary'. Build One South Africa (Bosa)said it was 'disturbed by the string of weighty revelations. Of particular concern is General Mkhwanazi's claim that the task team appointed to investigate police killings was deliberately sabotaged from within the South African Police Service (SAPS). If true, this fundamentally undermines the integrity of our criminal justice institutions and threatens public safety. 'His allegations implicate senior police officials, prosecutors, judges, members of Parliament and members of the executive in acts that sabotage law enforcement and enable political killings. 'These are the symptoms of a state in capture crisis, where criminal syndicates and corrupt politicians allegedly operate with impunity.' Bosa joined the growing calls for Mchunu, Mkhwanazi and others involved to urgently appear before Parliament. Mkhwanazi's briefing ended with a call to SAPS members to 'stand up and protect our people against this criminal syndicate', even as he confirmed a formal criminal investigation was under way into the apparent capture of parts of South Africa's criminal justice system. 'Despite all these challenges, we acknowledge and appreciate the resilience of the members of the Political Killings Task Team,' said Mkhwanazi. 'They remain operational, albeit with serious attempts to disrupt their work.' Daily Maverick reached out to Mchunu's spokesperson, Kamogelo Mogotsi, for comment and received a video of the minister saying: 'We have become aware of what General Mkhwanazi has been saying. I didn't have time to look at TV, but there are those statements that he has said. We will, in good time, apply our minds to those kinds of statements.' DM
