Mchunu denies witness tampering claims at Madlanga Commission
Police Minister Senzo Mchunu has rejected claims made by witness E at the Madlanga Commission on Monday that he personally tried to coach him into lying under oath to the commission.
Image: SIBONELO NGCOBO Independent Newspapers
On-leave Police Minister Senzo Mchunu has firmly denied allegations made by a protected witness, known as Witness E, during testimony at the Madlanga Commission on Monday.
Witness E, who is enrolled in the witness protection programme, claimed that Mchunu began contacting him in December 2024 to discuss the murder of former ANC Youth League secretary-general Sindiso Magaqa and later attempted to persuade him to provide false testimony before the commission.
Magaqa, 35, was shot alongside two uMzimkhulu Municipality councillors in July 2017 and died two months later from complications arising from his injuries.
During his testimony, Witness E alleged that Magaqa’s killing could have been prevented had police acted on intelligence gathered from the hitmen. He further claimed that senior Crime Intelligence officers were involved in the murder.
Attempts to Draw Khumalo and Cele
According to Witness E, Mchunu questioned him about the possible involvement of Crime Intelligence head Lieutenant-General Dumisani Khumalo in the assassination.
“I told him that at the time, in July 2017, General Khumalo was not part of Crime Intelligence and was not in KwaZulu-Natal,” Witness E testified.
“I made it clear to the minister that Khumalo was not involved in the assassination and that I only came to know of him later.”
Witness E said Mchunu also asked whether former police minister Bheki Cele was implicated in the murder, an allegation he denied.
He further claimed that Mchunu contacted him on multiple occasions, including in the lead-up to the commission, and attempted to dictate what should be included in his statement. Witness E alleged that Mchunu pressured him to submit his statement by noon on December 12, 2025, later bringing the deadline forward to December 11.
Allegations Rejected
Witness E, an undercover Crime Intelligence operative, told the commission he had a “100% success rate” in infiltrating drug cartels, stock-theft syndicates and cash-in-transit gangs, adding that suspects he had previously identified were either jailed or deceased.In response, Mchunu rejected all the allegations.
“I deny the allegations he makes about me, including the interactions on his statements,” Mchunu said in a statement issued through his spokesperson, Sithembiso Mshengu, on Tuesday.
“I am aware that I am due to appear again at the commission and I will seek to respond. My lawyers are already dealing with the matter.”
The Sindiso Magaqa Trial
Sibusiso Ncengwa, who confessed to the murder of Magaqa was sentenced to 25 years in July 7, 2025, eight years after Magaqa was shot. Former uMzimkhulu municipal manager Zweliphansi Sikhosana, Mbulelwa Mpofana and Sibonelo Myeza are the outstanding accused in the murder of Magaqa, who was allegedly targeted for speaking out against corruption in the refurbishment of uMzimkhulu Town Hall, where he was a councillor. Ncengwa has turned into a state witness. Another accused, Mlungisi Ncalane, had charges against him withdrawn on the grounds of not being mentally fit to stand trial. Sikhosana was previously arrested and charges provisionally withdrawn against him in 2018 but was re-arrested in July last year by the Political Killings Task Team at his Malvern, Durban home. His charges were previously withdrawn along with KwaZulu-Natal Legislature Deputy Speaker Mluleki Ndobe who died in November 2020 in an apparent suicide at his Glenwood home. Ndobe was mayor of Harry Gwala District Municipality before joining the legislature in 2019.
Mkhwanazi July Briefing
The Madlanga Commission, which took a recess late last year, resumed hearings on Monday. It is probing claims by KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi that there was political interference in the criminal justice system. President Cyril Ramaphosa put Mchunu on special leave following Lieutenant-General Mkhwanazi's groundbreaking July 6, 2025 media briefing and appointed acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia.
Mkhwanazi has alleged that the Political Killings Task Team was disbanded under Mchunu’s watch to protect politicians and criminal syndicates implicated in political assassinations, drug trafficking and other serious crimes.
The commission is expected to continue on Wednesday with testimony from KwaZulu-Natal Hawks head Major General Lesetja Senona.