Mchunu ready to clear his name

JOHANNESBURG – Senzo Mchunu has maintained his innocence, saying he is ready to clear his name following explosive allegation by KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Provincial Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi.

Mkhwanazi accused Mchunu and Deputy National Commissioner for Crime Detection Shadrack Sibiya of political interference in police operations during a media briefing in July.

Following the allegations, President Cyril Ramaphosa placed Mchunu on an immediate ‘leave of absence’ after allegations of links to organised crime as an ‘illusion of reform’.

Mchunu told eNCA that he is looking forward to the commission, which is expected to kick off this week, so that he can clear his name.

“I’m okay, I’m stable, I’m waiting for that.” Speaking on the sidelines of the ANC’s National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting in Boksburg yesterday, the party’s National Spokesperson, Mahlengi Bhengu-Motsiri, said they want the law to take its course. “We are calling for the full might of the law to be served on any individual, whoever they are, regardless of their political or social station, in society. And so that is the position of the African National Congress.

“The commission will subpoena people and we expect that any of our members who are subpoenaed or have to make representations or are invited to appear before the commission will do so because we have been in full support of the decision by the president to establish a judicial commission. Comrade Senzo and comrade Bheki, when called upon, we expect them to show up and to also assist the commission in terms of its mandate,” Bhengu-Motsiri said.

Bhengu-Motsiri said they have confidence in the ANC’s integrity commission to deal with the matter at a party level.

“We are expecting that the integrity commission of the ANC, which is quite diligent in terms of how they treat matters of this stature that have the potential to impugn the name of the African National Congress.

“So, we are expecting that the commission is seized with those matters. Normally, we don’t ventilate the processes of the commission until a decision has been made, and so we normally generally just allow the commission to complete its business, and at the right time, the commission then reports to the National Executive Committee, and the same treatment is going to be given to this matter,’’ Bhengu-Motsiri said.

Addressing the nation in July, Ramaphosa announced a judicial commission chaired by Mbuyiseli Madlanga would probe the claims, which he said undermined the Constitution and threatened national security. Ramaphosa also appointed law professor Firoz Cachalia as Acting Police Minister.

The president was faced with a tough decision to dismiss the 67-year-old Mchunu, walking a tightrope after speculation about the fate of the police minister. Ramaphosa took action after Mkhwanazi alleged that Mchunu interfered in police investigations. He also claimed that a syndicate was operating in Gauteng, involving a drug cartel, politicians and police officials.