On 6 July 2025, KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Police Commissioner Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi went public with allegations that Police Minister Senzo Mchunu had received payments from a corruption suspect and had played a role in dismantling the Political Killings Task Team. Mkhwanazi further alleged that high-ranking police officials, politicians, and members of the judiciary were aiding criminal syndicates and obstructing justice. Mchunu denies the allegations and cites administrative grounds for disbanding the task team. On 13 July, President Ramaphosa placed Mchunu on a special leave of absence, appointed Prof. Firoz Cachalia as acting Minister of Police, and established a Commission of Inquiry chaired by retired Constitutional Court Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga. The Commission has heard evidence that some law enforcement officials colluded with drug cartels — providing advance warnings before raids and protecting trafficking networks for bribes — and that more than 100 case files were allegedly removed from the Political Killings Task Team. The first interim report (December 2025) referred matters for immediate criminal investigation. The Commission was extended to August 2026. At the time of writing, none of the allegations against Minister Mchunu have been tested in court.
Update, September 2026: On 14 July 2026 Parliament's ad hoc committee found no criminality by Mchunu but "serious governance and integrity concerns" over the 31 December 2024 disbandment of the Political Killings Task Team; opposition members said the findings had been "materially watered down". Mchunu remained on special leave as of 16 September 2026.