National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola has appointed KwaZulu-Natal’s top cop, Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, to lead a new national task team against organised crime.
Mkhwanazi will coordinate operations across all nine provinces while retaining his post as KZN police commissioner, though he will no longer be based in the province full-time.
Why it matters
South Africa’s organised crime problem extends well beyond KZN. Extortion rackets in the construction and transport sectors have spread to Gauteng, the Western Cape and Mpumalanga. A national coordination structure could address the interprovincial networks that local task teams cannot reach alone.
The KZN model
Mkhwanazi built his reputation on aggressive operations against extortion syndicates and what he calls the “Big Five” cartel in KwaZulu-Natal. His contract as provincial commissioner was renewed for five years last month, a move widely read as a vote of confidence from national leadership.
The national task team will replicate elements of the KZN approach: shared intelligence, cross-provincial tactical deployments and a focus on dismantling syndicate finances rather than only arresting foot soldiers.
Funding from seized assets
In a departure from conventional policing budgets, Mkhwanazi confirmed the task team will not draw on taxpayer funds. Instead, it will be financed through the Criminal Assets Recovery Account, known as CARA, using proceeds from assets seized during operations.
“The goal is to go after criminals, seize their assets, recover the money, and put it back into the fund,” Mkhwanazi said. The long-term aim is a self-sustaining unit funded by the proceeds of the crimes it dismantles.
What to watch
CARA has historically been criticised for slow disbursements and limited transparency. Whether the fund can sustain a national policing operation at scale remains untested. Mkhwanazi’s dual role also raises capacity questions, as KZN’s crime challenges have not diminished.
Community Policing Forums in KZN have welcomed the appointment but cautioned that the province must not lose its dedicated leadership in Mkhwanazi’s absence.