Witness E: Mchunu pressured me to lie, fabricated evidence, and shifted blame | Madlanga Commission

From denying any wrongdoing, corruption, and infiltration, here is how the suspended police minister, Senzo Mchunu, allegedly fabricated false statements, pressured Witness E to lie in his favour, and lied under oath to save his skin from his own corrupt dealings.

These are the revelations that have rocked the Madlanga Commission and placed the integrity of South Africa’s justice system under sharp scrutiny.

In explosive testimony on Monday, Witness E told the commission that Mchunu was not merely misleading the public, but actively engineering a false narrative aimed at implicating crime intelligence boss Lt-Gen Dumisani Khumalo.

According to the witness, Mchunu persistently contacted him, urging him to repeat what the witness described as a lie — a version of events designed to deflect attention from Mchunu’s conduct and redirect blame onto Khumalo.

Witness E said the calls were frequent, direct and insistent.

“He consistently called him and told him that there is a statement prepared for me to present at the commission,” he said.

Phone records submitted to the commission reportedly corroborate a pattern of repeated contact, undermining Mchunu’s previous claims that he had no improper engagement with the witness.

The testimony suggested a deliberate effort to script false statements that could later be used to legitimise Mchunu’s accusations under oath.

At the heart of the matter are sworn statements made by Mchunu, in which he accused Khumalo of infiltrating the police and justice system through rogue intelligence operations.

Witness E told the commission that those allegations were knowingly false and constructed to create a scapegoat.

He testified that Mchunu instructed him on whom to implicate and what details to emphasise, framing the deception as necessary for Mchunu’s political and legal survival.

The commission heard that Mchunu’s alleged conduct went beyond witness tampering.

Witness E described a broader pattern of manipulation involving intelligence structures, internal police processes and the weaponisation of corruption claims to neutralise perceived threats.

If proven, the actions would point to active interference in the justice system by a sitting cabinet minister.

These revelations stand in stark contrast to Mchunu’s public posture.

The minister has repeatedly denied infiltrating or corrupting the police and justice system, portraying himself as a whistleblower acting in defence of the rule of law.

Under oath, he rejected allegations of dishonesty and insisted his statements were truthful and necessary.

“I have never been accused of corruption, not once,” Mchunu said, opening his testimony at the commission, adding that “This is the first time that I get accused of such, as alleged particularly on July 6”.

Witness E’s testimony directly challenges that version of events, portraying Mchunu as a central player in the very corruption he publicly condemned.

The evidence, as presented, suggested a calculated dishonesty, abuse of power and an attempt to manipulate legal processes to evade accountability.

kamogelo.moichela@iol.co.za

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