KZN premier endorses Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi for 2nd term as provincial police boss

KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thami Ntuli.

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KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thami Ntuli has endorsed Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi for a second term as provincial police commissioner.Mkhwanazi has been recognised for implementing intelligence-driven interventions to combat serious crimes,including political killings and organised crime.Mkhwanazi has exposed corruption within the SAPS,implicating high-ranking officials,leading to the establishement of the Madlanga Commission.KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thami Ntuli has endorsed provincial police commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi for a second term.

The endorsement,which is in line with the Constitution’s Section 207,comes at a time when Mkhwanazi is set to return to Parliament’s ad hoc committee,which is investigating the alleged capture of the criminal justice system.

On Thursday morning,Ntuli formally issued a concurrence for the renewal of Mkhwanazi’s contract after a meeting with national police commissioner General Fannie Masemola.

Mkhwanazi’s initial contract ends in March.

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“During the engagement,Premier Ntuli expressed firm confidence in the leadership,professionalism,and ethical standards demonstrated by Lieutenant-General Mkhwanazi throughout his tenure as provincial commissioner,” Ntuli’s spokesperson Lindelani Mbatha said.

Mbatha said the extension would ensure an “effective and stable” environment remained in place,especially as complex and persistent crime challenges still grip the province.

Ntuli’s endorsement is in line with the Constitution’s Section 207(3),which compels Masemola to appoint a provincial commissioner after the provincial executive committee has endorsed its preferred candidate.

Mbatha said:

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Lieutenant-General Mkhwanazi has earned widespread recognition for his decisive and hands-on approach to policing,as well as for strengthening operational coordination within the SAPS and with other law enforcement agencies.

“Under his leadership,targeted and intelligence-driven interventions have been implemented to combat serious and violent crime,including political killings,organised crime,extortion,and other priority offences that have historically undermined stability in the province,particularly as the country approaches the local government elections,” he said.

He added that Ntuli had noted that these interventions had “contributed significantly to restoring public confidence in law enforcement and reinforcing the rule of law,especially in communities most affected by crime and instability”.

“The commissioner’s role has been pivotal in addressing KwaZulu-Natal’s high crime rates,including political killings and extortion,” said Mbatha.

Ntuli said: “I have consistently maintained that there is no basis not to recommend a police officer of the calibre of Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi to continue with the work he is doing.”

READ | Toxic environment: Mkhwanazi bombshells expose need for major SAPS reform

In July,Mkhwanazi held a media briefing,in which he laid bare the rot within the SAPS and also claimed that there was interference by politicians in the police’s work.

In the press briefing,Mkhwanazi implicated then-police minister Senzo Mchunu and suspended deputy commissioner Shadrack Sibiya as being at the centre of the rot and corruption in the SAPS.

Following the damning revelations,President Cyril Ramaphosa put Mchunu on gardening leave and established the Madlanga Commission. Parliament also established its own process to test Mkhwanazi's claims through an ad hoc committee.

The KwaZulu-Natal police boss has since appeared before the Madlanga Commission and the ad hoc committee,where he was questioned about the allegations made in his media briefing.