Mchunu accused of coercing witness in Madlanga Commission testimony

A South African Police Service (SAPS) intelligence operative has alleged that Police Minister Senzo Mchunu attempted to coerce him into providing favourable testimony before the Madlanga Commission.

The operative, identified only as Witness E, is currently under witness protection and testified partially in-camera on Monday.

BACKGROUND OF THE COMMISSION
The Madlanga Commission was established last year to investigate serious allegations made by KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi regarding the potential infiltration of organised crime into the country’s law enforcement agencies.

ALLEGATIONS OF PERSISTENT CONTACT
Witness E testified that his initial contact with Minister Mchunu occurred in December 2024. According to the witness, the Minister contacted him requesting information regarding the assassination of former ANC Youth League Secretary-General Sindiso Magaqa.

The operative claimed the Minister’s calls became so frequent and persistent that he considered blocking the Minister's phone number. Witness E further stated that this contact escalated following the formal establishment of the commission.

“I want to emphasise that since the beginning of the Madlanga Commission on 17 September 2025, Mr. Mchunu consistently phoned me and the number of calls skyrocketed,” Witness E testified. “He is trying to coerce me to testify at the Madlanga Commission in a manner favourable to him.”

DETAILS OF THE ALLEGED COERCION
When asked to provide specific details regarding the alleged coercion, Witness E claimed that Mchunu pressured him to discredit the Political Killings Task Team.

Specifically, the witness alleged that the Minister wanted him to testify that the task team should not be credited with securing the conviction of Magaqa’s killer.