ANC Suspends South Africa Police Minister Amid Criminal Syndicate Allegations

South African Police Minister Senzo Mchunu has been placed on special leave by President Cyril Ramaphosa amid serious allegations of misconduct and political interference in police operations, including disbanding a specialized task team investigating political killings. The African National Congress (ANC) supports this decision and has emphasized its commitment to integrity and the rule of law, while a Judicial Commission of Inquiry has been established to investigate the claims. Despite the leave of absence from his ministerial post, Mchunu remains a Member of Parliament and retains his positions within the ANC's National Executive Committee and National Working Committee, continuing to fulfill parliamentary and party duties. ANC Secretary-General Fikile Mbalula dismissed reports of Mchunu having appeared before the ANC's Integrity Commission as misinformation, stating that such engagement will occur at an appropriate time. Meanwhile, opposition voices, notably from the Economic Freedom Fighters, accuse the ANC of protecting criminal syndicates and demand that Mchunu be arrested and prosecuted, highlighting allegations of his collusion with organised crime detailed by KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi. The unfolding scandal reveals a network of criminal infiltration spanning law enforcement, the judiciary, and political spheres, posing a significant challenge to South Africa's criminal justice system.