In a stunning twist at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry’s, KwaZulu-Natal Hawks Lieutenant-Colonel Deenadayalan Govender testified that an investigation into police killings is actually a high-level political plot to remove Provincial Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi.
Govender claimed that independent investigators and political fixers tried to force him into falsely implicating Mkhwanazi. He told the Commission he was given a terrifying ultimatum, help frame his commander or face death by poisoning and arrest on 172 fabricated criminal charges.
The explosive allegations turn the spotlight directly onto the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID). Govender pointed fingers at IPID Deputy Director Len John, accusing him of weaponising the state watchdog to launch a political hit on KZN’s top cop. He further alleged that a political fixer, claiming to represent former Police Minister Senzo Mchunu, called Mchunu in his presence to prove the plot had powerful backing.
This testimony completely upends the narrative previously presented to the Commission. Len John had earlier testified that Govender’s specialized task teams operated as rogue “hit squads” responsible for extrajudicial killings, backing his claims with bank records showing millions in unexplained deposits linked to criminal syndicates.
With both sides trading accusations of corruption, hit squads, and political warfare, the Madlanga Commission emphasized that all claims remain untested. Intensive cross examinations will follow as the inquiry attempts to separate state capture plots from genuine police accountability.