Mkhwanazi right about CJC corruption, says whistleblower Patricia Mashale

Whistleblower Patricia Mashale has corroborated claims made by KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi regarding deep-seated corruption in South Africa’s criminal justice system. Mkhwanazi initially made these allegations during a media briefing last year, asserting that criminal syndicates have infiltrated the system and implicated several senior SAPS officials. “When Mkhwanazi said there was corruption in the NPA and the judiciary, he was right.

I have evidence of that, especially in the Free State,” Mashale said. She added that she and her husband have been reporting police wrongdoing for years, noting that her husband was previously arrested after exposing alleged corruption. “When you speak out about these things, the first thing they do is arrest you.” He was allegedly forced to drive the vehicle containing the body to a dump site.

To illustrate the severity of the corruption, Mashale presented the case of Zwelinzima Joseph Nquru. She alleged that Nquru has been in detention since 1999 for stock theft — an arrest that occurred when he was just 18 years old. According to Mashale, Nquru was due for release in 2012 but remains “unlawfully detained under false warrants” as part of a cover-up for a farm murder he witnessed as a teenager.

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“Nquru was 16 when he witnessed a farm worker being killed by police and farmers,” Mashale testified. “He was allegedly forced to drive the vehicle containing the body to a dump site. When he reported the matter the next day, the officer involved allegedly threatened him, promising to ‘take care of him’ and his mother only if he remained silent.” Mashale claimed that while in prison, Nquru was allegedly used as a “hitman” to eliminate witnesses.

“He is prepared to point out gravesites and name those involved. He says he is not afraid to be charged for his own crimes, but he wants those in power to be held accountable,” she said. Mashale further claimed to possess voice recordings from Sifiso Meyiwa, the brother of the late footballer Senzo Meyiwa.

She alleged that one 2019 recording features advocate Andrew Chauke admitting that the NPA did not believe the individuals currently on trial were the perpetrators. The whistleblower also raised alarms regarding the SAPS 2019 recruitment drive. She alleged that many trainees who passed requirements and signed contracts were never called to duty following the Covid-19 lockdown. However, she claims these individuals still appear as “active employees” on the SAPS system.

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