South African police minister suspended over corruption allegations

President Ramaphosa’s determination follows accusations that Senzo Mchunu interfered with delicate investigations.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has suspended his constabulary curate “with contiguous effect” implicit corruption allegations, a week aft a provincial constabulary main made the accusations.

In a state facing endemic corruption, Sunday’s announcement was highly anticipated aft a week of speculation implicit the destiny of Senzo Mchunu, who became constabulary curate a twelvemonth agone aft the wide elections.

Mchunu, 67, who section media had suggested arsenic a imaginable campaigner from the centrist faction of the African National Congress (ANC) to win Ramaphosa, has rejected the allegations arsenic “insinuations made without grounds oregon owed processes”.

Ramaphosa besides established a judicial committee of inquiry, with reports expected aft 3 and six months.

“The committee volition analyse the relation of existent oregon erstwhile elder officials successful definite institutions who whitethorn person aided oregon abetted the alleged transgression activity, failed to enactment connected credible quality oregon interior warnings, oregon benefitted financially oregon politically from a syndicate’s operations,” Ramaphosa said during a televised address.

Widespread corruption claims

KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi alleged connected July 6 that Mchunu received payments from a corruption suspect.

Mkhwanazi besides accused him of having played a relation successful dismantling a squad investigating killings that shielded politically connected people.

The commissioner, speaking astatine a media briefing flanked by equipped information forces, immoderate with their faces masked, said helium had opened a transgression probe into the minister. He besides accused different officials of obstructing constabulary enactment against organised crime.

Mkhwanazi himself is nether probe for allegations of corruption successful the awarding of a bulletproof vest contract, the play Sunday Times reported.

Firoz Cachalia, a instrumentality prof and subordinate of the governing ANC, has been appointed arsenic the interim constabulary minister.

South Africa ranks 82nd successful the world, according to the corruption cognition scale of the NGO Transparency International.

Most absorption parties connected Sunday criticised Ramaphosa for putting Mchunu connected a permission of lack alternatively of firing him.

“This was an accidental to instrumentality South Africans into confidence, and to woody with these issues decisively. Instead, helium calls for a committee of enquiry and expects South Africans to beryllium diligent erstwhile radical are dying connected a regular basis,” said Nhlamulo Ndhlela, the spokesperson of the absorption MK Party.