FF Plus MP backs Mkhwanazi, but warns of rot within police service

Ask AI 5minKZN top cop Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi has received backing from Freedom Front Plus MP Wouter Wessels for the top Hawks job.

Image: Doctor Ngcobo / Independent Newspapers

Freedom Front Plus (FF Plus) MP Wouter Wessels has backed the proposed appointment of KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi as head of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks), saying he believes the senior police officer has what it takes to lead the specialised unit.

Wessels, who serves on Parliament’s Ad Hoc Committee investigating allegations of criminality, political interference and corruption within the criminal justice system, said Mkhwanazi had demonstrated his willingness to speak out against wrongdoing in the police service.

However, he cautioned that the allegations surrounding the police service pointed to deeper institutional problems that could not be addressed through one appointment alone.

Speaking to IOL at the National Results Operations Centre (NROC) in Midrand on Sunday, Wessels said the country’s policing structures needed a major overhaul.

“Well, he’s proven that he speaks out, but we’ll have to look at everything. There’s something wrong, and we saw that. I think each and every South African that followed that Ad Hoc Committee in Parliament, or followed the Madlanga Commission, knows that something is very wrong in the whole police service, and that starts at the top,” Wessels said.

Wessels said while Mkhwanazi had taken a stand by publicly raising concerns about alleged corruption and political interference, his own history within the police service also needed to be considered.

“But unfortunately, General Mkhwanazi, although he spoke out, did form part of the top structure of the police for many, many years, and he admitted that he should also take responsibility.

“And we should have an overhaul of the whole system at the end of the day, because there’s something very, very wrong,” he said.

Despite these concerns, Wessels said he believed Mkhwanazi had the experience and leadership qualities needed to head the Hawks.

“I really do hope so, and I wish him well with that, and we will keep a watchful eye. But the Hawks is going to be a very difficult division to lead at this stage because of all the corruption.

“And there should be more and better policing in that regard, to have investigations done speedily, without political interference,” he said.

Wessels’ comments come after Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia submitted a formal Cabinet memorandum seeking approval for Mkhwanazi to become the national head of the Hawks.

The proposed appointment follows Mkhwanazi’s explosive public allegations on July 6, 2025, when he accused senior police officials and suspended Police Minister Senzo Mchunu of interfering in sensitive investigations and attempting to disband the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT).

Mkhwanazi also alleged that criminal networks had infiltrated key institutions, implicating politicians and officials across the criminal justice system.

The allegations prompted President Cyril Ramaphosa to place Mchunu on special leave and establish the Madlanga Commission to investigate claims of criminality, corruption and political interference in law enforcement agencies.

Parliament also established an Ad Hoc Committee to examine the allegations and hold those implicated accountable.

Ramaphosa has since confirmed that Mkhwanazi’s name has been put forward for consideration by Cabinet, with a final decision expected after the executive has completed its deliberations.

“The name of General Mkhwanazi has been put forward, it will go to Cabinet, Cabinet will be meeting and when Cabinet has decided, the announcement will be made and that is a Cabinet process,” Ramaphosa previously said.

He added that the outcome would only be made public once Cabinet had reached a decision.

“I am sure you want to know what Cabinet is going to decide, but we do not disclose what Cabinet is going to decide, we only disclose afterwards,” he said.

While some political leaders have welcomed the proposed appointment, questions have also been raised about whether Mkhwanazi’s experience would translate into effective leadership of the specialised investigative unit, particularly given its operational and staffing challenges.

Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Police chairperson Ian Cameron said Mkhwanazi’s extensive operational and senior command experience, including his time as acting national commissioner, was an important strength.

However, Cameron said his suitability should also be assessed against the specific demands of the Hawks, including the ability to lead complex investigations, protect investigative independence and build specialist investigative teams.

He also highlighted the directorate’s significant staffing shortages, warning that the challenges facing the unit would require more than a change in leadership.

The Hawks reported 2,515 vacant policing posts, including approximately 1,500 investigator positions, when it appeared before Parliament’s Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) in August.

Cameron said Mkhwanazi would need to introduce a properly costed recruitment and retention plan, with clear deadlines for filling critical vacancies.

He added that the police minister and SAPS leadership would also need to ensure the unit received sufficient funding and administrative support to carry out its mandate.

Cameron said the new national head would have to prioritise stalled investigations, improve co-operation with the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) and ensure prosecutors were brought into complex investigations at an early stage.

He also stressed the importance of strengthening financial investigations to target those who direct and benefit from organised crime, while ensuring that criminal proceeds were traced and recovered where possible.

The Hawks would also need to demonstrate that investigations were conducted without fear or favour, regardless of political connections or the seniority of those implicated in criminal activity.

Cameron said the same standards of accountability and integrity should apply to members of the Hawks themselves.

Scopa chairperson Songezo Zibi has also welcomed Mkhwanazi’s possible appointment, describing him as the best candidate to lead the directorate.

However, Zibi warned that without additional funding and resources, even an experienced leader could struggle to turn the unit around.

“General Mkhwanazi will be the best appointment of the DPCI to date. However, he will need resources urgently. The Hawks have a 50% vacancy rate, poorly paid forensic financial investigators, a dire need for cyber capacity and a variety of other skills,” Zibi previously said.

He argued that the appointment needed to be accompanied by a substantial financial commitment to strengthen the unit’s investigative capacity.

“As committed as he is, he will be set up to fail if his appointment is not accompanied by at least R1 billion more for investigations. Otherwise we will once again show that we’re not serious about fighting corruption,” Zibi said.

The Hawks are responsible for investigating serious organised crime, serious commercial crime and serious corruption.