Day two of the Madlanga Commission into political killings in KwaZulu-Natal once again placed the country’s criminal justice system under the spotlight, as provincial police commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi continued his explosive testimony. Mkhwanazi, who first shook the political establishment in July with allegations of entrenched corruption within the police and links between senior politicians and crime syndicates, told the commission chaired by Justice Madlanga that political interference in policing was not a thing of the past. “Commissioner, there…

Day one of the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry into Criminality, Political Interference and Corruption within South Africa’s criminal justice system closed at about 4pm on Tuesday at the Bridgette Mabandla Justice College in Pretoria after almost six hours of testimony from KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi. Mkhwanazi began his evidence just after 10:30 and, following a lunch adjournment, resumed at 14:00. His testimony set the tone for what many observers believe may be a fraught and revealing inquiry:…

The South African Police Service (SAPS) has announced a major breakthrough in the fight against political killings, but the success comes amid dramatic upheaval at the highest levels of the police and government. National Commissioner General Fannie Masemola confirmed that two suspects — a traditional chief and an alleged hitman — have been arrested in connection with the 2022 assassination of whistleblower Xolani Ndlovu Ntombela in KwaZulu-Natal. The arrests form part of renewed investigations into 121 unresolved dockets linked to…

The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has launched a blistering attack on Acting Minister of Police Firoz Cachalia, accusing him of “dangerous political interference” in investigations into political killings in KwaZulu-Natal. In a statement issued on Saturday, the red berets condemned Cachalia’s comments on the 121 case dockets of political murders and related crimes that were controversially removed from the Political Killings Task Team earlier this year, only to be reinstated by National Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola this week. The…

The long-delayed pursuit of justice for the 2017 assassination of former ANC Youth League Secretary-General Sindiso Magaqa took a dramatic turn on Monday with the arrest of the former municipal manager of the Umzimkhulu Local Municipality, more than seven years after the brutal killing. The 55-year-old suspect, who cannot yet be named until his court appearance, was re-arrested by the South African Police Service (SAPS) Political Killings Task Team in Malvern, Durban, following new developments in the murder investigation. The…

The suspension of Patriotic Alliance (PA) Deputy President Kenny Kunene has sparked widespread public and political reaction, following his presence at the Sandton residence of a murder suspect linked to the assassination of amapiano star Oupa “DJ Sumbody” Sefoka. Kunene, a controversial figure and former inmate turned businessman and politician, was placed on a 30-day leave of absence from the PA on Tuesday, after it emerged he was present during a high-profile police raid that led to the arrest of…