Suspended Police Minister Senzo Mchunu faces new accusations of trying to sway another witness at the Madlanga Commission.
The shocking claims emerged during Friday’s hearings. KwaZulu-Natal Hawks commander Lieutenant-Colonel Deena Govender delivered the explosive testimony. Lieutenant-Colonel Govender testified that a close associate of Mchunu pressured him to manipulate his testimony.
According to Govender, the associate wanted him to falsely blame KZN Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi for a series of police shootings.
Govender described an intense 80-minute meeting with the associate. During this interaction, the associate handed him a phone with Mchunu on the line.
Mchunu then spoke directly to the Hawks commander. He allegedly tried to influence the narrative Govender would present to the commission.
This is not the first time the suspended minister has been accused of tampering with evidence. Earlier in the inquiry, an undercover officer known as Witness E provided a secret phone recording. The audio allegedly showed Mchunu trying to coach the officer into fabricating state evidence.
State advocates have also brought forward other serious allegations against Mchunu. He allegedly leaked a top secret intelligence report to corruption investigators and disbanded the KZN Political Killings Task Team without consulting the National Police Commissioner.
Mchunu has strongly denied all accusations of witness tampering and corruption, calling them “inaccurate and untruthful.
The sidelined minister has officially requested another opportunity to appear before the commission to defend his name.