South Africa’s policing crisis has taken a dramatic new twist as conflicting statements emerge from the highest levels of power. National Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola has confirmed he was aware of KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi’s explosive media briefing on July 6—yet President Cyril Ramaphosa claims he had no knowledge of it.
Masemola’s acknowledgment suggests that the briefing, in which Mkhwanazi accused top government officials of interfering in criminal investigations, was not a rogue move, but a development known at least to the police leadership. However, President Ramaphosa’s denial has only deepened public confusion and raised alarm bells about the breakdown in communication—or perhaps transparency—between the presidency and the police.
The conflicting accounts come at a time when SAPS is already under intense scrutiny over the disbandment of the Political Killings Task Team, with accusations of cover-ups and interference rattling public trust. Mkhwanazi’s claims implicate high-ranking figures including Police Minister Senzo Mchunu and senior police officials, and suggest the sabotage of investigations into politically linked crime syndicates.
Now, with the president seemingly blindsided and the national commissioner saying otherwise, the question becomes more urgent: who’s really in control—and who’s telling the full story?
