The press briefing by KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi has ignited fierce backlash from forensic investigator Paul O’Sullivan, who claims the top cop’s actions may signal “the end of his life in the police.”
Speaking on Newzroom Afrika, O’Sullivan urged Police Minister Senzo Mchunu to suspend both Mkhwanazi and National Commissioner Fannie Masemola pending a formal inquiry.
During the Sunday briefing, Mkhwanazi accused high-ranking government officials—namely Mchunu and Deputy National Commissioner Lieutenant-General Shadrack Sibiya—of interfering in sensitive police investigations.
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Mchunu responded cautiously, saying he would “apply his mind” to the claims, while Sibiya outright denied the allegations.
But O’Sullivan dismissed Mkhwanazi’s claims as unlawful and dangerous, warning that such public disclosures threaten the integrity of South Africa’s criminal justice system. “He lies to the media and we need to get to the bottom of it,” O’Sullivan said. “He’s triggered something which may be the end of his life in the police.”
A Show of Force or a Political Statement?
The controversy escalated further with Mkhwanazi’s theatrical appearance at the press conference—donning a full task force uniform and flanked by masked officers armed with R5 rifles. To O’Sullivan, the optics were deeply troubling.
“Who authorised him to dress up in combat uniform, with a dozen men on either side of him to demonstrate he’s a tough guy and he’s going to take on the government?” he asked. “It’s almost like he’s challenging. The government?
“Is he challenging the police? Who is he challenging? It looks dangerously suspicious and it looks like he’s threatening a coup.”
O’Sullivan argued that the public display not only violated police protocols but also risked destabilising public trust in law enforcement. His remarks suggest a growing concern over the militarisation of police leadership and the potential for rogue elements within state institutions.
Calls for Accountability and a Judicial Commission of Inquiry
In the wake of the press conference, O’Sullivan has written to both Police Minister Mchunu and President Cyril Ramaphosa, demanding a judicial commission of inquiry into the conduct of both Mkhwanazi and Masemola.
He insists that their actions must be thoroughly investigated and, in the interim, both officials should be suspended.
“If Masemola authorised what [Mkhwanazi] did, the two of them can go down together,” O’Sullivan stated. “I have written to the minister to arrange for Masemola and Mkhwanazi to be suspended until we can get to the bottom of what their conduct is involved in and where it is leading.”
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