Renowned forensic consultant Paul O’Sullivan has publicly called for the immediate removal of KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, accusing him of destabilizing South Africa’s already fragile police leadership.
Speaking on Newzroom Afrika on Sunday, 6 July, O’Sullivan did not mince words: “I want to see that man fall, the sooner the better.” His sharp condemnation followed hours after Mkhwanazi’s explosive media briefing, where the commissioner alleged that senior officials, including Police Minister Senzo Mchunu and Deputy National Commissioner Shadrack Sibiya, interfered with investigations into politically motivated killings.
Mkhwanazi claimed that over 120 sensitive case dockets were mysteriously removed earlier this year, crippling probes into political murders in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng, and that high-profile suspects were being shielded from justice by a coordinated effort to sabotage the Political Killings Task Team.
O’Sullivan, known for his staunch anti-corruption stance, questioned not only the accuracy of Mkhwanazi’s allegations but also his decision to go public in such a dramatic fashion. He described the police chief’s briefing—where Mkhwanazi appeared in Special Task Force fatigues flanked by armed officers—as “an alarming display” that risked undermining the constitutional order.
While O’Sullivan stopped short of accusing Mkhwanazi of plotting a coup, he warned that the optics of the event “raise serious red flags” and must be carefully scrutinized to preserve the country’s democratic institutions.
This high-profile clash has intensified public anxiety over instability within the South African Police Service (SAPS). Minister Mchunu has dismissed the allegations as “baseless” and “irresponsible,” while President Cyril Ramaphosa’s office has acknowledged the situation as a matter of “grave national security concern.”
As tensions mount, the nation watches closely to see how the government will navigate this unprecedented crisis in law enforcement leadership.
