Mkhwanazi reveals former Police Minister Bheki Cele allegedly tried to interfere in internal police disciplinary matter. Image credit: EWN.
(The Post News)- Former Police Minister Bheki Cele allegedly tried to interfere in an internal police disciplinary matter in a bid to safeguard Crime Intelligence spy boss Feroz Khan. This bombshell was dropped by KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, during his testimony on day 3 of Madlanga Commission of Inquiry in Pretoria on Friday, 19 September 2025.
Mkhwanazi Reveals Former Minister of Police Beki Cele
According to Mkhwanazi, Cele attempted to persuade Major General Jabulani Khumalo, a district commander in KwaZulu-Natal to leave the South African Police Service (SAPS). Khumalo had been appointed to chair a disciplinary hearing against Khan over a massive 2021 cocaine bust in Gauteng.
“Cele is pursuing Khumalo to resign from the police so that he can stay away from the disciplinary case because he was appointed to deal with that case, departmentally against General Khan,” Mkhwanazi told the commission.
Khan had been accused of meddling in a legitimate drug bust that led to the arrest of two police officers. He, however, claimed his rivals were attempting to steal the drugs in a “rip-off” operation. Mkhwanazi said he was disturbed by Cele’s alleged attempt to protect Khan.
“Can really General Cele go to the extent of wanting a person to resign from the SAPS because he wants to protect someone? It was really strange, I did not talk to Cele from that day,” he stated.
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“There are many people who call themselves experts who blamed me for breaking protocol. I submit that I did not break any protocol. I believe that action would have been taken against me for breaking protocol. I did not break any protocol,” Mkhwanazi said.
He added, “We wanted to communicate a message to South Africans that we are ready. We were communicating with these drug squads, politicians, the executive police officers that we are ready for them. So for me, I don’t sneak up on a person. I face them directly.”
In anothe testimony, Mkhwanazi also implicated another former police minister, Nathi Mthethwa, alleging that he interfered in corruption charges against former Crime Intelligence boss Richard Mdluli.
Mkhwanazi claimed that while acting as police commissioner in 2011, he pushed ahead with efforts to prosecute Mdluli over alleged abuse of the secret slush fund between 2008 and 2012. The fund had reportedly been used for private trips and to house Mdluli’s family. “Mthethwa influenced former Inspector-General of Intelligence, Faith Radebe, to withdraw a letter of prosecution against Mdluli,” he alleged.
He said, “If you talk about political interference, that was the worst I’ve ever experienced.”
Mkhwanazi said what happened back in 2011 is still happening within crime intelligence today and he had to speak out about it.
“It cannot be that I allowed the Mdluli era, the minister Mthethwa era, under former president [Jabob] Zuma to happen like that, and it’s happening again now, and I keep quiet,” he noted. Mkhwanazi concluded three days of testimony on Friday, leaving the commission with a trail of explosive claims of political meddling in South Africa’s policing structures.
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