Durban — A war of words has erupted between the DA and the KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi over the delay in cracking a case of the party’s murdered councillor.
It was the DA that started the war accusing Mkhwanazi and the police of hiding something by refusing to work with the forensic investigators that were appointed by the party.
In a statement issued by the DA on Monday, the party’s provincial leader, Francois Rodgers said despite his party having engaged a competent investigation and forensic team to assist the SAPS following the horrific murder of the uMngeni chief whip, Nhlalayenza Ndlovu last year, it appears that law enforcement in the province is not willing to work with or communicate with the party.
Rodgers said as the leader of the DA in KwaZulu-Natal he requested a meeting with the provincial police commissioner, both telephonically and in writing, to receive an update on the status of the investigation but was ignored.
It has become clear that the commissioner is avoiding any such engagement. The question is why? Right now, there are more questions than answers. Either, the SAPS does not have any information, or they have information that they are not willing to release. This is only compounding an already difficult situation and raises further suspicions around the motives behind political killings,” reads the statement.
However, Mkhwanazi hit back saying police do not report to political parties. In a media briefing on Tuesday, the police commissioner warned politicians to avoid making statements that create a false narrative and further plummet the trust that the people of this country have in the police
“One political party issued a statement yesterday (Monday), claiming that the provincial Commissioner of KwaZulu-Natal is avoiding an engagement with them about the murder of their councillor. What does the Provincial Commissioner of KwaZulu-Natal have to do with active investigations? Feedback on ongoing investigations is provided to the complainants, not political parties,” said Mkhwanazi.
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