Police Minister Senzo Mchunu, who has been accused by KZN police commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi of collaborating with members of a criminal syndicate to undermine police investigations, has denied knowing a key figure linked to the syndicate.

The Witness reports that, according to Mkhwanazi, one of the syndicate’s key members was businessman Vusumuzi ‘Cat’ Matlala, who has since been arrested for attempted murder.

In a statement issued this morning, the Police Ministry distanced Mchunu from Matlala, saying he has ‘never met Mr Matlala’ and has also never spoken to him.

During an explosive press briefing in Durban on Sunday, Mkhwanazi claimed an analysis of Matlala’s cellphone records revealed Mchunu was part of a plot to shut down KZN’s Political Killings Task Team, which had been established to investigate political murders in the province.

The task team, whose members were part of the team investigating the alleged syndicate, was disbanded at the beginning of this year.

Further, Mkhwanazi said Matlala’s cellphone records linked Mchunu to North West businessman Brown Mogotsi, who is connected to Matlala and, according to the KZN police commissioner, has provided financial support to the minister.

While the Police Ministry admitted Mchunu knows Mogotsi, it denied he had received any financial favours from him.

“While the minister knows and has met Mr Brown Mogotsi, he is just a comrade, and not an associate of the minister. The minister has never requested or received anything from him,” the Police Ministry said.

During Sunday’s briefing, Mkhwanazi – who also implicated senior police officials – said Mchunu had previously told a parliamentary committee he did not know Mogotsi.

Meanwhile, calls are mounting for President Cyril Ramaphosa to establish an inquiry into Mkhwanazi’s claims. The South African Council of Churches earlier today urged Ramaphosa to ‘urgently’ launch an investigation and called for the suspension of the implicated officials.

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