RESET AGENDA: Bad news for Mkhwanazi’s naysayers as Cachalia backs him to head Hawks
Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia wants KwaZulu-Natal cop boss Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi to head the country’s priority crimefighters, the Hawks. While some will welcome this, it will probably not go down well with Mkhwanazi’s detractors, including former national deputy commissioner for crime detection Shadrack Sibiya, who is now in custody and criminally charged.
Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia has announced his intention to appoint KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi as the head of the Hawks, South Africa's priority crime-fighting unit. This decision comes after Mkhwanazi's allegations in July 2025 that a cartel, later identified as the Big Five, had infiltrated the country's criminal justice system, politics and private sector. The Hawks, which have been without a permanent head since June 2025, will now have a new leader.
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