Paramilitary structure strengthening in KZN — Mchunu tells Parliament about alleged ‘threat’

Police minister Senzo Mchunu, who is now on special leave, had heard that a paramilitary structure was being created and strengthened in KwaZulu-Natal.

He testified about this in Parliament’s ad hoc committee on Wednesday, 22 October 2025, but did not provide much more detail or evidence about such a structure.

It was Mchunu’s fourth day as a witness before the committee and the second during which MPs had a chance to question him.

The committee is investigating accusations that a drug trafficking cartel has infiltrated South Africa’s law enforcement, politics, and private businesses.

‘Paramilitary structure’

During Wednesday’s sitting, the ANC’s Mdumiseni Ntuli asked Mchunu about the “recruitment of intelligence to strengthen a certain structure” in KwaZulu-Natal – there was reference to this in Mchunu’s affidavit to the parliamentary committee.

Mchunu responded: “I had picked up information that there were such intentions in KwaZulu-Natal. I won’t be able to talk in detail.”

He said this fitted into the context of a directive “which I was meant to discuss with the National [Police] Commissioner [Fannie Masemola]”.

It appeared that Mchunu was referring to a set of directives he issued on 31 December 2024, which had included freezing the filling of vacancies in the Crime Intelligence unit, and more controversially, to disband KwaZulu-Natal’s political killings task team (PKTT).

During his testimony on Wednesday, it was not clear if reference was being made to one, or several, alleged paramilitary structures because both singular and plural forms were used.

Mchunu said: “Somehow these would also rely on some of our structures… in other words, they would exploit any weaknesses and take any possibilities as these paramilitary structures yet established on the side.”

Ntuli asked Mchunu if he was referring to the PKTT.

Mchunu replied: “Not necessarily… From the little that I got, it just came in that… some paramilitary is in the formation, strengthening and so on.”

Ntuli put it to Mchunu that he hoped this issue would be followed up on “very urgently” because it involved an alleged structure “with its own ambitions… which I would imagine are devoid of the ambition of the South African security forces, that does present a particular threat”.

Mchunu emphatically responded: “I agree with you fully.”

Ntuli said he did not need to point out KwaZulu-Natal’s history to Mchunu.

(It was not immediately clear what paramilitary structure or structures were referred to on Wednesday, but political killings have long troubled the province. Nearly two decades ago, it was reported that there were concerns about a paramilitary camp, allegedly aligned to the ANC, in northern KwaZulu-Natal.)

‘Wasn’t me’

Throughout his testimony at the ad hoc committee, Mchunu has maintained that he has done nothing wrong and has not contributed to the country’s policing scandal.

The scandal began to erupt a few months ago, in July, when KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi held a press conference and detailed an explosive set of accusations.

These resulted in the creation of the parliamentary ad hoc committee, as well as a parallel hearing, the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry, to investigate the allegations.

Read more: Mchunu uses ‘dangerous man’ crime accused Matlala’s affidavit to defend himself

Mkhwanazi’s accusations have developed further since his July press conference because of what has emerged in the parallel hearings.

He has already testified in both.

The KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner’s accusations now include that Mchunu was influenced to direct the PKTT’s disbandment because certain crime suspects believed this would impair investigations against them.

Mchunu, throughout his testimony at the ad hoc committee, stretching from last week into Wednesday, has denied this and said the tight police budget was among his reasons for doing so.

The Ad Hoc Committee to Investigate Allegations by@SAPoliceServiceKZN head Gen Mkhwanazi #adhocMkhwanazi Mr Mdumiseni Ntuli ask Minister Mchunu given what he knows now would he change his decision to disband #PKTT ParliamentofRSA⁩ ⁦@NPA_Prosecutes⁩ ⁦⁦@DOJCD_ZA⁩ pic.twitter.com/moyy4BEg7x

— Justice-and-security-Cluster (@JustSecuCluster) October 22, 2025

On Wednesday, asked if he would direct the disbandment of the PKTT again, knowing what he does now, Mchunu said: “I would’ve taken the same decision, but the form would have been different.”

Other accusations involving Mchunu included that crime-accused Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala, who is allegedly a member of a drug trafficking cartel known as the Big Five, was supporting his political ambitions.

On Wednesday, during the parliamentary hearing, Mchunu again reiterated that he did not know Matlala. He added: “There is no drug cartel that I’m linked to.”

Read more: Mkhwanazi twisted what I said about comrade Brown Mogotsi, Mchunu tells Parliament

It was alleged that Matlala was connected to an ANC-aligned businessman whom Mchunu knows, Brown Mogotsi.  

Answering questions from MPs on Wednesday, Mchunu said he was in communication with Mogotsi, but there was nothing untoward about this.

He said he only came to hear about other aspects of Mogotsi, and what he was allegedly up to, via the Madlanga Commission.

The DA’s Ian Cameron asked Mchunu about another person whose name has repeatedly cropped up in the overall policing saga – Mchunu’s chief of staff Cedric Nkabinde, whose flat was recently raided.

Cameron asked if Nkabinde had security clearance (which would enable his access to sensitive information). Mchunu replied that he had not asked for it, so he could not be sure.

‘Opportunity to face reality’

Cameron’s questions included whether Mchunu believed the policing scandal was drug-related or the result of factionalism.

Mchunu answered: “I would say it’s a combination of factors. One [is] less than required unity and coherence in… [police] top management.”

He said another factor was “personal battles informed by interests”.

“But more than that… it is an opportunity, this one, to correct what’s wrong.”

Earlier on Wednesday, the ANC’s Khusela Sangoni also asked, in terms of the policing scandal, what Mchunu believed was happening.

He replied: “These divisions seem to be rooted in some past, if you look at them and if you listen to them.

“So, when I came there, they were already there.”

Read more: Khumalo arrest — cops warned that Crime Intelligence clean-up would spark State Capture-style backlash

Mchunu appeared to be referring to police infighting and distrust, which have indeed been problems for decades.

The country’s Crime Intelligence unit, for example, has long been the scene of internal friction and accusations of slush fund looting.

Mchunu, asked on Wednesday about mistakes he potentially made, acknowledged that he was not “perfect”.

“Yes, there would be mistakes,” he said.

“No one is perfect, I know that, and me too, I am not perfect.”

Mchunu said when he made mistakes, he acknowledged these and corrected them. He was not asked to go into detail.

Mchunu’s testimony in Parliament has often involved him giving long-winded answers to MPs, some of whom voiced concerns that his replies seemed to stray from what he had been asked.

As Mchunu has testified, the definitions of words, including “immediately”, “comrade” and “associate”, have been focused on at length during proceedings, and MPs have demanded clarity.

Parliament’s ad hoc committee is expected to resume on Thursday.

Former police minister Bheki Cele is set to testify, marking the first time he officially and publicly discusses the policing crisis. DM