KZN Hawks boss says Mchunu put pressure on him to implicate Mkhwanazi in police shootings

31 AUG 2026, 13:37

4 min read

KwaZulu-Natal Hawks head Deenadayalan Govender told the Madlanga commission that suspended police minister Senzo Mchunu pressured him to implicate KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi in 172 police-related shootings.

Govender testified about a meeting on 20 August 2026, the day before his appearance before the commission, with Mchunu associate Mavuso Ntandani.

“The whole thing [of the meeting] is that I will be protected, that I must now implicate General Mkhwanazi to say that he gave me instructions for all the shootings that occurred,” he said.

Several witnesses have previously told the commission that Mkhwanazi had ordered extra-judicial police shootings in KwaZulu-Natal. They alleged that Mkhwanazi was running a police hit squad acting on behalf of competing cartels. 

“The contents of that meeting was to further pursue me to implicate General Mkhwanazi, who is the provincial commissioner of KZN, in the 172 shootings,” Govender said.

He said he believed a similar strategy used in parliament’s ad hoc committee meeting was being employed at the Madlanga commission to put pressure on witnesses to implicate Mkhwanazi.

On the morning of his first appearance before the commission on 21 August, Govender said he received a call from Mchunu’s associate, Mavuso Ntandani, which he described as “another alarming factor”.

Govender said Mavuso reassured him that Mchunu would protect him. “In the phone call of 21 August 2026, the caller asked if I was in Gauteng and continued in his usual vein to persuade me to implicate Lieutenant-General Mkhwanazi.”

Govender provided the commission with transcripts of two phone calls made in the week before his appearance. The phone recordings were played at the commission. 

“[Mchunu] said: 'Don’t die for other people’s matters; you can pull out’,” Ntandani said to Govender over the phone. 

Mavuso told him: “Don't panic about that ... trust me ... please speak, you are not alone, even the president knows that you are going to speak. Don’t let anyone down.”

Govender said Ntandani handed him the phone with Mchunu on the other line, during which the minister allegedly urged him to implicate Mkhwanazi in the 172 shootings.

He told the commission that he recognised Mchunu’s voice when Mavuso handed the phone to him during the meeting before his testimony. 

“During that call ... the minister said to me: ‘Do [you] … love this country?’ I said: ‘Yes, I do.’ ‘Do I have two countries?’ I said no. He said I must not let anyone ruin this country,” Govender testified.

Govender said he previously told Mkhwanazi that he was under pressure from the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) to implicate him. He said Mkhwanazi advised him to record all phone calls and meetings with Mchunu’s associates.

“I respect this minister and I know him, I like him. But as an elder and senior person in government, he cannot lie about such serious things,” Govender said.

Mchunu denied the allegations after Govender’s first appearance before the commission, saying he had never instructed Govender to throw Mkhwanazi “under the bus”.

Govender also told the commission that Mchunu’s associates said acting national police commissioner Puleng Dimpane had been trying to contact him, allegedly on behalf of Mchunu.

He alleged that Dimpane had sent Mkhwanazi a seven-day notice to respond to questions about a June press briefing in Pretoria.

Govender said the notice was issued after Mkhwanazi held a press briefing at the time that Crime Intelligence head Dumisani Khumalo was allegedly facing arrest by the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (Idac).

Mkhwanazi told the media that there was a “war” within the police and that “blood will flow” as a result. 

Khumalo’s arrest was subsequently suspended before the June 30 anti-immigration protests. The National Prosecuting Authority has since withdrawn all charges against Khumalo and several crime intelligence officers.

“General Dimpane sent General Mkhwanazi seven days to respond to why he went to the press,” said Govender.

Govender said he believed Dimpane was reluctant to contact him directly.

He also denied allegations that he received R2.5 million payments from businessman Clive Naicker to eliminate competitors in the Durban tow-truck industry.

He further denied allegations by Gregory Loftus that he authorised the killing of his son, Bevan Loftus, on Naicker’s behalf. 

“We at no stage threatened, I'll speak for myself, threatened his son or himself. If not, it was a cordial conversation between myself and him. He's lying. I don't know why he did that,” Govender said.