Senzo Mchunu, the undefire police minister who has been placed on special leave is again under scrutiny.
On Monday, police executing a search and seizure warrant granted by the Johannesburg High Court raided Mchunu’s private residence in KwaZulu-Natal where a cell phone was seized.
The raid was confirmed by Sithembiso Mshengu, Mchunu’s spokesperson who explained that the gadgets were handed over to the police in the presence of Mchunu’s lawyer.
“As a law abiding citizen and in the presence of his attorney. He handed over the cellphone in line with the directive of the court. Minister Mchunu will address these developments and many other matters that evolve around his name in the coming weeks,” Mshengu stated.
Monday’s raid is the second to have been conducted at Mchunu’s home where gadgets have been confiscated. According to Mshengu, the other confiscated gadget had not been returned to Mchunu.
The former KZN premier finds himself entangled in the allegations that he aided and abetted the feared underground criminal cartels activities. In July 2025, head of state Cyril Ramaphosa placed Mchunu on special leave shortly in the aftermath of explosive revelations made by General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, the KZN police commissioner, on July 6 infamous media briefing. Mkhwanazi accused Mchunu of political interference in sensitive police operations and alleged that he was aiding the activities of the so-called big five cartel. He also asserted that Mchunu had disbanded the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT) to protect the rogue elements, a claim Mchunu denies. The bombshell gave birth to the Madlanga Commission, a public inquiry. It is investigating among other things how police actors and criminal networks have allegedly infiltrated state intellegence, the judiciary, police and the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA)
Mchunu’s name, who at the moment faces no charges of wrongdoing, has also been mentioned by several witnesses at the commission for alleged clandestine conduct.
Adding another layer to the entanglement, one Bishop Lawrence Maumela who described himself as a close friend of Shadrack Sibiya, the suspended deputy national police commissioner charged that both Mchunu and Sibiya were victims of ANC political succession battles.
“ I’m told that there are many being targeted. It seems this is an act where people are being targeted because of succession battles. If the president cannot intervene, we are going to retaliate,” Maumela charged.
He also claimed that Sibiya who appeared in court on Tuesday facing several sexual related cases that his arrest was part of a campaign to block him from being a national commissioner.
“ In the morning, the police were at General Sibiya’s house with a search and seizure warrant. At the same time there were police at Senzo Mchunu’s house with a search and seizure,” he said.