KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, has emerged as a refreshing force within the South African Police Service (SAPS), taking decisive action against internal corruption in an institution that has long suffered from a crisis of public trust.
Mkhwanazi is the first witness in the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Criminality, Political Interference and Corruption in the Criminal Justice System which started on Wednesday and is chaired by retired Constitutional Court justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga.
The commission was established after Mkhwanazi accused senior politicians, including police minister Senzo Mchunu, along with top police, correctional services officials, prosecutors, and businesspeople of colluding with criminals.
Here are five things to know about the KZN top cop who has become a social media darling:
- Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi was born in Edendale, a township in Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal and joined the SAPS in 1993.
- His initial deployment was in Public Order Policing, where he managed the Public Order Police responsibilities within the SAPS. Since then, he has been through all the levels and ranks and has successfully served in different management positions within the police service.
- Mkhwanazi holds a National Diploma and a BA Degree in policing. He has also been awarded certificates for qualifying for the supervisor’s role in counterterrorism investigations from the USA, bomb disposal from the Republic of South Africa, and crisis response teams from the USA.
- In 2005, he was appointed head of the Special Task Force for his outstanding performance and expertise. This branch of the SAPS manages all specialised operational sections, such as the National Air Wing, National Intervention Unit, and the presentation of Special Task Force training. The unit is the SAPS’s highest specialised operations task team. Heading it calls for special skills, knowledge, and intelligence.
- In October 2011, he was appointed by former president Jacob Zuma as acting national police commissioner. He replaced Bheki Cele, who was suspended and eventually fired for meddling in the R1.78 billion police headquarters lease deal.
