KwaZulu-Natal police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi is set to lead a national crime-fighting initiative while continuing his duties in the province.
Image: Leon Lestrade / Independent Newspapers
KwaZulu Natal Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi is set to lead a national crime-fighting project.
Mkhwanazi stressed that his position as Provincial Commissioner in KwaZulu-Natal remains unchanged.
''I'm still a Provincial Commissioner in the province,'' he said.
He was speaking at the handing over of a new forensic lab in Durban on Friday, which is aimed at addressing severe DNA testing backlogs in the province.
Mkhwanazi explained that his deployment forms part of a broader strategy by the National Commissioner to strengthen the fight against organised crime, while still maintaining his responsibilities in the province.
He said the arrangement is still in its early stages and will involve him working both provincially and at national level.
He further noted that the legal framework governing the appointment of provincial commissioners requires consultation with the provincial executive.
In explaining this, he said: “Well, unfortunately, because the Act requires that the appointment of a Provincial Commissioner must be in consultation with the executive in the province. So when a National Commissioner considers to reappoint me in the province, he had to engage with the Premier.”
He added that the National Commissioner had already briefed the Premier Thami Ntuli on the intended arrangement and how it would affect his role.
According to him, the aim is to ensure that his experience is utilised in tackling organised crime while still maintaining oversight responsibilities in KwaZulu-Natal.
“But as a South African police service, we always have strategies to fight crime. So as one of the strategies that the National Commissioner is employing, he has identified me to play a role in that strategy of fighting organised crime.
''So he then had the responsibility to brief the Premier on what it is that he's intending to do and to utilise me and how is that going to impact in my role in the province.”
Mkhwanazi indicated that the arrangement would not see him permanently removed from the province, but would require him to travel and coordinate between provincial and national duties.
“So literally it means that I will have to, while having the responsibility of the province, but I have to then do an oversight role of the work that has to be done at the national level in fighting organised crime,'' he said.
He added that this arrangement would not remove him from the province physically, noting that it would keep him based in South Africa.
He further clarified that although he will remain based in South Africa and continue his provincial responsibilities, his work will require mobility and coordination across different operational levels.
''So I will still be working in the province, but moving around, not necessarily be in KZN all the time.
''I'm going to be moving up and down and trying to coordinate both. So it's quite a lot of work to do, but it's still at the beginning of it. So as the time progresses, we'll see how feasible it is to do both,'' Mkhwanazi said.
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