KZN's top cop Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi has secured a five-year contract extension.
Image: Doctor Ngcobo / Independent Newspapers
KwaZulu‑Natal's provincial police commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi is set to stay in his post for another five‑year term.
This was confirmed by Police Minister Fanie Masemola, according to SABC News. Mkhwanazi's contract was due to end on March 31.
In early January, KZN Premier Thami Ntuli confirmed that he supported Mkhwanazi's contract being renewed. The provincial government said the matter had been discussed with Masemola.
At the time Ntuli highlighted the importance of stable and effective leadership in tackling the province’s ongoing crime challenges.
“The Premier reaffirmed the Provincial Government’s full support for the renewal of Lieutenant-General Mkhwanazi’s contract and its continued commitment to working closely with the SAPS and national law enforcement structures to ensure safer communities, effective crime prevention, and the protection of all residents of KwaZulu-Natal,” the statement said at the time.
It was reported on Tuesday that Masemola had indicated that the contract extension process is being finalised.
“We are in the process of finalising those details. So yes, he will still be Provincial Commissioner of KZN,” Masemola said.
The Justice, Crime Prevention and Security Cluster on social media also confirmed the announcement on social media, confirming that Mkhwanazi’s term as provincial police commissioner will be extended by another five years.
Mkhwanazi has been thrust into the spotlight after his July 6, 2025 media briefing in which he made allegations about the alleged criminal infiltration of the police. He alleged that the Political Killings Task Team, a unit established to investigate politically motivated murders, had been disbanded by suspended Police Minister Senzo Mchunu to protect the interest of certain criminal syndicates that had links to politicians and senior cops.
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