Police Minister Senzo Mchunu faces escalating political and legal pressure as both the Democratic Alliance (DA) and the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party have laid criminal charges against him, marking a dramatic turn in the unfolding corruption scandal shaking South Africa’s security establishment.
The DA accuses Mchunu of fraud and deliberately misleading Parliament about his ties to controversial businessman Brown Mogotsi. Meanwhile, the MK Party has filed charges of perjury and defeating the ends of justice, also implicating Deputy Police Commissioner Shadrack Sibiya.
These charges come on the heels of damning allegations by KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, who publicly accused Mchunu and other top police officials of links to criminal syndicates and of obstructing sensitive investigations — including the disbandment of a task team probing political killings.
Mchunu has denied any wrongdoing, maintaining that his relationship with Mogotsi was overstated and that a controversial R360 million SAPS contract linked to murder-accused businessman Vusumuzi “Cat” Matlala has been cancelled.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has urged restraint amid the intensifying calls for Mchunu’s suspension and is expected to formally address the matter soon. With parliamentary committees set to investigate and public pressure mounting, the scandal has become a litmus test for the government’s stance on accountability and corruption within the police service.
As the political fallout deepens, all eyes remain on the presidency and the justice system to see whether concrete action will follow the growing chorus for transparency and reform.
