Mchunu denies ties to Matlala amid police tender scandal
Police Minister
This comes after KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner
Matlala, who was arrested in May on attempted murder charges, had been awarded a police tender in 2024 to provide trauma and medical services. Mkhwanazi alleged that phone evidence linked Matlala to payoffs involving politically connected people, including Mchunu's acquaintance, Brown Mogotsi, a business person based in North West.
A statement on Wednesday morning said Mchunu had never spoken to Matlala.
'The minister has never met Mr Matlala, has never spoken to him; nor has the minister ever requested or received anything from him. The minister did, however, initiate a review of the SAPS tender awarded to him when suspicions of possible wrongdoing surfaced. It was the same tender that has since been terminated,' read the statement issued by Mchunu's spokesperson, Kamogelo Mogotsi.
He said the minister acknowledged knowing Brown Mogotsi but said he was not a close associate.
Mchunu confirmed he had initiated a review of the police tender awarded to Matlala when suspicions of irregularities arose. The contract was later terminated in May by national police commissioner Fannie Masemola.
During Sunday's media briefing, Mkhwanazi claimed that Mchunu ordered the disbandment of the province's political killings task team in December after its members assisted Gauteng police with a high-profile murder case.
The task team had reportedly provided support in the investigation into the killing of Q-Tech employee Armand Swart, who was mistakenly targeted in place of a whistleblower linked to alleged corruption in a Transnet tender process.
Investigative work by the joint police teams led to the arrest of Katiso Molefe. Forensic analysis of the firearm used in Swart's murder later tied the weapon to a string of unresolved killings in the entertainment industry, dating back to 2021.
Mkhwanazi said that in the months that followed — January, February and April — deputy national police commissioner Shadrack Sibiya issued written instructions to the disbanded team to submit all active case dockets to his office. More than 120 dockets were handed over in March, but have reportedly remained untouched.
In support of his claims, Mkhwanazi presented WhatsApp messages allegedly exchanged between Matlala and Mogotsi.
In one message, Mogotsi allegedly tells Matlala: 'I have arranged a meeting for Sibiya and the minister, they must have a solution.' Another message reads: 'The task team that came to your house and harassed you has been dissolved; they got the letter on Monday. As we speak, they are bringing all the dockets to Sibiya.'
Although Mchunu acknowledged knowing Mogotsi, he dismissed suggestions of any impropriety in their relationship.
'Furthermore, while the minister knows and has met Brown Mogotsi, he is just a comrade and not an associate of the minister. The minister has never requested or received anything from him,' Mchunu's spokesperson said.
Mkhwanazi's revelations sparked uproar on Sunday with political parties, including the Democratic Alliance and Economic Freedom Fighters, calling for urgent parliamentary inquiries and the immediate suspension of the minister.
On Tuesday, the African Transformation Movement approached the public protector to have the matter investigated, warning that it raises serious concerns about political interference in the criminal justice system.
President Cyril Ramaphosa, who was abroad when the accusations surfaced, returned to the country on Tuesday.
In a statement on Sunday, his office said Ramaphosa had noted Mkhwanazi's allegations and quoted the president as saying: '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.
'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.'
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