KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi has called on Parliament to launch a formal probe into former Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) head Robert McBride and prominent forensic investigator Paul O’Sullivan over alleged corruption and improper influence in law enforcement operations.
Mkhwanazi made the call during his second day of testimony before Parliament’s Ad Hoc Committee, which is investigating his explosive allegations of police corruption, intelligence interference, and misuse of classified information.
The commissioner presented new evidence, including WhatsApp messages linked to the disbandment of the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT), warning that leaks of such information could compromise national security.
Claims of Undue Influence
Responding to a question from EFF leader Julius Malema, Mkhwanazi alleged that McBride and O’Sullivan may have collaborated improperly during McBride’s tenure as IPID head.
He claimed that Police Minister Senzo Mchunu’s chief of staff, Cedric Nkabinde, informed him that IPID operations were being planned and coordinated from O’Sullivan’s home.
“I require that Parliament investigate this in detail because cellphone records can prove their locations — McBride, O’Sullivan, Nkabinde, and others. When that investigation is concluded, no one can deny the facts,” Mkhwanazi told the committee.
He further alleged that McBride and O’Sullivan’s collaboration could reveal whether O’Sullivan was acting as a foreign intelligence operative, saying Parliament must “check every financial record” linked to O’Sullivan and others.
“We must determine whether Paul O’Sullivan is a conman or an agent. Based on the investigation, we will be able to conclude whether he is indeed clean or working with foreign interests,” Mkhwanazi said.
Questions Over Surveillance Gadgets
Mkhwanazi also raised questions about the procurement of surveillance devices by law enforcement agencies, including the City of Johannesburg Metro Police and the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI) during Shadrack Sibiya’s tenure as deputy commissioner.
He urged Parliament to investigate whether the devices were legally purchased, imported through proper channels, and whether O’Sullivan played any role in facilitating them.
“I want Parliament to know where these gadgets came from, who supplied them, and who authorised their use,” he said.
Classified IPID Report Raises Alarm
Mkhwanazi also questioned why the IPID report into the Phala Phala investigation was classified by Police Minister Senzo Mchunu, suggesting possible misuse of secrecy laws.
“IPID is not an intelligence structure, yet the minister classified its report and withheld it from the public. We must ask: does the minister have the authority or security clearance to classify such documents?” he said.
He warned that such actions undermine transparency and weaken government accountability.
Malema Demands Answers
During the heated session, EFF leader Julius Malema pressed Mkhwanazi on whether O’Sullivan’s activities amounted to a national security threat, given his alleged role in obtaining surveillance equipment and influencing police operations.
“When you engage in destabilisation of the security cluster, you are a security threat,” Malema said, urging the National Police Commissioner, Fannie Masemola, to open a criminal case against O’Sullivan for “crimes against the state.”
Mkhwanazi warned that if the government failed to act, “the men and women in this country may take drastic action,” suggesting that frustration with alleged corruption and manipulation within the security cluster was reaching breaking point.
“It may not be what this government wants because he [O’Sullivan] has gone too deep, showing control all over,” Mkhwanazi said.
Political Fallout Looms
The ongoing parliamentary inquiry has already drawn controversy, with DA MP Dianne Kohler Barnard accused by Mkhwanazi of disclosing classified intelligence information during the inquiry and the Madlanga Commission — a claim she has denied.
The DA has since sought legal advice on how to handle any potential recusal request.
