KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi told the Madlanga commission what caused his fallout with former police minister Bheki Cele.
On Friday, Mkhwanazi continued his testimony, accusing Cele of attempting to interfere in the investigation and disciplinary hearing of Major General Feroz Khan, head of the Counter-Intelligence and Security Intelligence division.
Mkhwanazi explained that on 9 July 2021, police officers allegedly offloaded bags of drugs from a delivery truck into a police van in Johannesburg.
Officers from the Booysens station intercepted their colleagues and called Khan to the scene.
Three years later, on 25 October 2024, Khan faced a disciplinary hearing over the incident, with Mkhwanazi chairing the proceedings.
Cele’s Calls About General Khumalo
Mkhwanazi stated that during the ongoing investigation, Bheki Cele phoned him to request that he release District Commander Major General Jabu Khumalo to Gauteng.
Cele told him Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi wanted Khumalo to help fight crime in the province.
“I found it strange because he called two or three times,” said Mkhwanazi.
“After that, Cele pleaded with me to release Khumalo to Gauteng. But my surprise was that when Cele was in the police, he didn’t like Khumalo at all. Why would he now trust him?”
Mkhwanazi recalled telling a colleague about the call. His colleague was equally confused, saying Cele had previously portrayed Khumalo as “a bad person” at the police head office.
Khumalo Reveals Cele’s Real Motive
Mkhwanazi said he later informed Khumalo about the call.
“Khumalo laughed and said, ‘Don’t worry, the general is not serious about that’. When I asked what he meant, Khumalo told me, ‘He wants me to back off on the case against General Khan’.”
At the time, Khumalo had been tasked with investigating Khan.
Commissioner Expresses Disappointment
Mkhwanazi told the commission that he was outraged by Bheki Cele’s alleged attempt to shield Khan.
“That upset me so much,” he said.
“Cele wanted someone to resign from the service to protect a person under investigation. From that day, I never spoke to him again. He disappointed me as a former police minister.”
Mkhwanazi said soon after, media reports emerged that tried to discredit him and question his impartiality in Khan’s case.
“Khan’s lawyers even wrote to me, pointing to articles in the media and questioning my independence,” he explained.
“That’s when I realised the pressure was aimed at forcing me to back off from Khan’s case.”
Khan Cleared of Wrongdoing
Despite the political and media pressure, Mkhwanazi said he found no evidence of misconduct against Khan during the disciplinary hearing.
“I could not find a single wrong that General Khan committed,” he said.
“In fact, I said the SAPS owe Khan for stopping officers from taking the drugs. If I had wanted him dismissed, I would have done so. But I gave him a fair hearing, and he’ll confirm today that I treated him fairly.”
