Suspended police sergeant accuses Mkhwanazi of assault, torture

Suspended police sergeant Samkeliso Mlotshwa has made explosive allegations against KwaZulu-Natal police commissionerLt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, accusing him of being involved in assault and torture after a kidnapping investigation. Mlotshwa presented his testimony before parliament’s ad hoc committee on Friday as part of a series of public submissions. Mlotshwa worked as a member of the border policing unit at theLebombo port of entry.

He joined the SAPS in 2006. Mlotshwa also operates a private funeral parlour. In his evidence, Mlotshwa detailed a harrowing account of alleged power abuse, illegal rendition, torture and arson allegedly carried out by senior SAPS officials.

The ordeal began when Mlotshwa was identified as a suspect in the kidnapping of businessman Zakariya Desai, who was abducted outside a mosque on September 10, 2024. The case was handled by a multidisciplinary team from KZN, including members of the Hawks and the KZN Tracking Team. Mlotshwa testified that on November 20, 2024, before his formal arrest, police arrived at his home without a search warrant and forced entry while he was in Maputo.

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According to Mlotshwa, the officers subsequently burned his house to the ground. On November 23, 2024, while in Maputo for his funeral business to repatriate a client’s remains, Mlotshwa was detained at a restaurant under the pretext of being an illegal immigrant. He claimed law enforcement officials seized his passport, belongings and even a temporary travel document issued by the South African Embassy.

The situation escalated on December 9, 2024. Despite having legal representation, Mlotshwa and two Mozambican co-accused were allegedly taken from the KwaDukuza police cells to a private farm. Mlotshwa told the committee they were transported in private vehicles belonging to the kidnap victim’s brother, who was allegedly working alongside the police.

At the farm, Mlotshwa claimed he and his co-accused were stripped naked and suffocated with a water-filled plastic bag. He testified that Mkhwanazi then entered the room. I was instructed by Mkhwanazi to squat before my co-accused’s private parts,” Mlotshwa told the committee.

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