WATCH | ‘Mkhwanazi threatened me’ — Mchunu drops bombshell recording in Parliament

Cape Town – Police Minister Senzo Mchunu has accused KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi of issuing threats over his decision to disband the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT), stressing that President Cyril Ramaphosa supported the move.

Testifying before Parliament’s ad hoc committee, which is probing Mkhwanazi’s claims of corruption and political interference in the justice system, Mchunu said Mkhwanazi sent him a WhatsApp message in April requesting a meeting to address internal SAPS issues and proposing the inclusion of controversial figures like businessman Brown Mogotsi.

Mchunu declined, saying it would be inappropriate to meet with someone outside the police.

He also alleged that Mkhwanazi, through his chief of staff Cedric Nkabinde, warned of a “fight back” if the disbandment letter wasn’t withdrawn.

Mchunu played a 13-minute audio recording of a conversation between Mkhwanazi and Nkabinde, in which Mkhwanazi expressed concern about the impact of the PKTT’s disbandment on investigations and mentioned links between certain police officials and political figures.

Mchunu interpreted parts of the conversation as a threat, saying Mkhwanazi suggested that if the minister was “clean”, he should proceed — but warned that his past would be scrutinised.

“To me, that was a threat, and it was also a promise that somebody is going to go back [to look at] what did I do wrong while I was an MEC or while I was premier, while I was in water [and sanitation department], and I have no problem with that,” he said.

“But in the context in which it was said, it becomes a weapon to say, don’t do this even if it’s correct, even if it is lawful, even if it’s constitutional, because I don’t like it. If you do it, I will go and dig what you did wrong at some point.”

[WATCH] Senzo Mchunu releases a recording of a conversation between his Chief of Staff Cedrick Nkabinde and Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi. He intends to prove that Mkhwanazi threatened him to go ahead and disband the PKTT only if he (Mchunu) knows he is clean.#Newzroom405 pic.twitter.com/WOQci1bRer

— Newzroom Afrika (@Newzroom405) October 17, 2025

Mchunu said he had briefed Ramaphosa, who agreed with the decision to dissolve the task team.

The parliamentary inquiry continues on Tuesday.