Police Minister Senzo Mchunu has firmly denied any association with embattled businessman Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala following bombshell accusations made by KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, Mchunu also distanced himself from any wrongdoing involving political ally Brown Mogotsi.
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This comes in the wake of a dramatic public fallout between the minister and Mkhwanazi, who alleged during a weekend media briefing that certain politically connected individuals were being shielded from investigation by the national police leadership.
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The commissioner accused top SAPS officials of applying pressure on provincial officers to abandon sensitive cases and flagged concerns over a scrapped tender linked to Matlala.
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Senzo Mchunu: “I Never Met or Spoke to Cat Matlala”
In a swift rebuttal, Mchunu’s office insisted he has no ties to Matlala. “The minister has never met Mr Matlala, has never spoken to him, nor has the Minister ever requested or received anything from him,” the Ministry of Police said.
The statement clarified that it was Mchunu himself who questioned the legitimacy of the tender in question.
“The Minister initiated a review of the SAPS tender awarded to him when suspicions of possible wrongdoing surfaced. It was the same tender which has since been terminated,” the statement continued.
Brown Mogotsi ‘Just a Comrade’, Says Mchunu
The Police Ministry also sought to clarify Mchunu’s relationship with Brown Mogotsi, another figure mentioned in the unfolding saga.
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“Whilst the Minister knows and has met Brown Mogotsi, he is just a comrade and not an associate of the Minister. The Minister has never requested or received anything from him,” the ministry emphasised.
Mchunu maintains that all his actions regarding the controversial tender and associated individuals were legal and in the public interest, calling the allegations “unfounded” and an attempt to discredit law enforcement reform efforts.
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