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Ramaphosa Suspends Police Minister Over Criminal Collusion Allegations

A judicial commission led by the deputy chief justice is gathering evidence against Senzo Mchunu after his suspension followed by the appointment of Firoz Cachalia as interim police minister

FILE - South Africa's Police Minister Senzo Mchunu, center, visits an abandoned gold mine where miners are rescued from below ground, in Stilfontein, South Africa, Jan. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/Themba Hadebe, File)
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South African President Cyril Ramaphosa attends a press conference, after his White House meeting with U.S. President Donald Trump, in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 21, 2025. REUTERS/Leah Millis/File Photo
Ramaphosa first got word of the corruption allegations while attending the BRICS summit earlier this month

Overview

  • President Cyril Ramaphosa placed Police Minister Senzo Mchunu on immediate leave pending a judicial inquiry into allegations of collusion with criminal syndicates and interference in politically motivated murder probes.
  • Law professor Firoz Cachalia will serve as acting minister of police, assuming the post at the end of July.
  • The commission, led by Deputy Chief Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga, will investigate claims that Mchunu disbanded the Political Killings Task Team and seized more than 100 case files.
  • KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi alleged that Mchunu received illicit payments from a corruption suspect, a charge Mchunu has denied as baseless.
  • An interim report from the inquiry is expected within three months, a development that could affect public trust in the ruling ANC and South Africa’s anti-corruption efforts.