Witness
KwaZulu-Natal provincial police commissioner · KwaZulu-Natal
Testified · complainant
The KwaZulu-Natal provincial commissioner of the South African Police Service whose 6 July 2025 press briefing triggered the Madlanga Commission. He alleged that a criminal syndicate linked to a drug cartel had infiltrated the police, prosecution and intelligence services, and that the political killings task team had been disbanded to shield those interests. He appeared as the commission's first witness in its opening days (Days 1-3, 17-19 September 2025), giving evidence as the complainant - not an accused - and has not returned to the witness stand since. His allegations remain the spine of the inquiry: in July 2026, as IDAC investigator Brian Padayachee testified about the directorate's case against Crime Intelligence head Lieutenant-General Dumisani Khumalo, Padayachee said Mkhwanazi had known in advance of, and had no issue with, Khumalo's arrest - a characterisation set against Mkhwanazi's own public criticism of that probe.
This profile summarises testimony and evidence given on the public record before the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry. It restates allegations as presented at the hearings and is not a finding of guilt, liability, or wrongdoing by any person.
Their role
At his 6 July 2025 briefing, Mkhwanazi alleged that an organised-crime syndicate, ultimately controlled by an international drug cartel, had embedded itself across police, prosecutors, the judiciary, metro police and correctional services, and that politicians, prosecutors and police officials interfered at the high end of cases.
He alleged the KZN Political Killings Task Team was disbanded by then police minister Senzo Mchunu just as it closed in on Gauteng syndicates, testifying that 'someone influenced' the decision and that dissolving the team would have collapsed the criminal-justice value chain.
Mkhwanazi alleged that 121 dockets were taken from the KwaZulu-Natal task team at the start of 2025 and left unworked before being returned, framing this as the obstruction of active investigations into political killings.
He alleged that seized phones carried WhatsApp messages connecting North-West businessman Brown Mogotsi, described as an associate of the minister, to murder-accused Vusimuzi 'Cat' Matlala, and that Mogotsi knew of the task team's disbandment before he did.
His allegations implicated suspended deputy national commissioner Lieutenant-General Shadrack Sibiya and other senior figures in interfering with sensitive investigations; he presented documents and communications to support the claims.
On the stand
On the record
Connections
Minister of Police (on special leave)
Mkhwanazi alleged Mchunu disbanded the political killings task team to shield politically connected interests.
View profile →Corroborated byNational Commissioner of the South African Police Service
National Commissioner Masemola's early testimony largely supported Mkhwanazi's account of the task-team disbandment.
View profile →Implicated in his evidenceSuspended Deputy National Commissioner of Police (Crime Detection)
Mkhwanazi named Sibiya among the senior officers he alleged interfered with investigations.
View profile →Named in his evidenceNorth West businessman
Mkhwanazi described Mogotsi as a conduit between the minister and an alleged cartel figure.
View profile →Distinct person, same surnameSuspended Deputy Chief, Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department (EMPD)
Frequently confused with him; Julius Mkhwanazi is the suspended EMPD deputy chief, an entirely different person.
View profile →Sources