Police Minister Senzo Mchunu has faced new accusations of attempting to influence a witness during testimony before the Madlanga Commission, according to testimony delivered by Colonel Deena Govender on Friday. Govender alleged that Mchunu’s ally, Mavuso Ntandane, tried to persuade him to implicate Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, the KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner, in extra-judicial killings. Govender claimed he possessed a recording of a conversation in which Ntandane pressed him to make these allegations. During the session, Ntandane reportedly called Mchunu in front of Govender, and later arranged another meeting on Thursday, August 20, where the discussion lasted approximately 80 minutes before Mchunu spoke directly to Govender via phone. Govender stated that Mchunu urged him to tell the commission he had received instructions from Mkhwanazi regarding police shootings in KwaZulu-Natal. He recognized Mchunu’s voice from prior interactions and described the conversation as an attempt to manipulate his testimony. The allegations against Mchunu remain untested within the commission, adding to a growing body of concerns about potential political interference in the ongoing inquiry into policing practices and alleged misconduct. Govender, who himself faces charges related to alleged involvement in killings and receipt of illicit payments, framed his testimony as part of a broader examination of the evidence presented to the commission. This latest accusation follows similar claims made by other witnesses. Earlier this year, an undercover police officer known as Witness E testified that Mchunu attempted to influence his testimony, urging him to fabricate statements implicating Lieutenant-General Dumisani Khumalo, the head of Crime Intelligence. According to Witness E, the conversation was automatically recorded by the Truecaller app and not intentionally taped. He described how Mchunu discussed a fabricated statement he wished Witness E to submit to the commission, raising questions about the integrity of the process. In separate testimony, alleged cartel member Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala revealed that former Police Minister Bheki Cele claimed Mchunu wanted to remove Khumalo from his position and replace him with Deputy Director General Feroz Khan. Matlala, who is accused of ties to organized crime, testified that Cele believed Brown Mogotsi, an alleged political fixer, had connections to Mchunu and could serve as a conduit to the minister. Despite his skepticism, Matlala provided Mogotsi with R150,000 and covered his travel expenses after Mogotsi requested funds. Cele encouraged the payments, believing they might help trace the money back to Mchunu. Matlala also disclosed that he shared his communications with Mogotsi with Cele, who instructed him to continue the payments in order to uncover where the funds were ultimately directed. This testimony has intensified scrutiny around political influence within the police force, particularly following recent revelations from Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC) prosecutor Drushantha Ramsamy. Ramsamy alleged that Mchunu and former colleague Andrea Johnson orchestrated a campaign to remove both Khumalo and National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola, involving investigative pressure, political coordination, and strategies such as withholding information from Masemola ahead of his parliamentary appearance. Ramsamy further detailed that Mchunu allegedly distributed a classified Inspector-General of Intelligence report directly to IDAC investigator Dylan Perumal, bypassing standard procedures. She also described private, unrecorded meetings between Johnson and Mchunu in early 2025, where plans were allegedly laid to target Crime Intelligence leadership. These developments underscore the complexity of the inquiry, which continues to probe allegations of corruption, political manipulation, and systemic issues within South Africa’s law enforcement agencies.
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