Mkhwanazi proposed as new Hawks head amid calls for him to lead SAPS - IOL
Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia wants KZN police commissioner Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, above, to be the national head of the Hawks.
The proposed appointment of KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi to head the Hawks has sparked a debate over whether he should lead the elite crime-fighting unit or be considered for the country’s top policing job, as concerns mount over the resources needed to tackle organised crime and corruption.
Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia’s office announced yesterday that he had submitted a Cabinet Memorandum seeking President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Cabinet’s concurrence for Mkhwanazi’s appointment as head of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI), commonly known as the Hawks.
While some political leaders have welcomed the move, crime experts argue that Mkhwanazi’s operational experience and leadership could be better deployed as national police commissioner.
Ministry spokesperson Kamogelo Mogotsi said the Hawks played a critical role in combating organised crime, corruption and other serious priority offences.
“This is a priority for the Police Reset Agenda,” she said, adding that appointing a national head was important to ensure strong leadership, strategic direction and operational effectiveness.
Parliament’s police oversight committee chairperson Ian Cameron said Mkhwanazi’s substantial operational and senior command experience, including his service as acting national commissioner, was an important strength.
However, he said his suitability should be assessed against the Hawks’ specific demands, including leading complex investigations, protecting investigative independence and building specialist teams.
Cameron also highlighted the directorate’s severe staffing crisis. The Hawks reported 2 515 vacant policing posts, including approximately 1 500 investigator posts, when appearing before the Standing Committee on Public Accounts (Scopa) in August.
“No appointment at the top can, on its own, overcome a shortage of that scale,” Cameron said.
He said Mkhwanazi would need a costed recruitment and retention plan, with deadlines for filling critical posts, while the minister and SAPS leadership would have to provide the necessary funding and administrative support.
The new head would also need to address stalled investigations, strengthen cooperation with the National Prosecuting Authority and ensure prosecutors were involved early in complex cases. Financial investigations should target those directing and benefiting from organised crime, with criminal proceeds traced for possible recovery.
Cameron stressed that the Hawks must follow evidence regardless of political connections or seniority within government and the police, with their own members held to the same standards of integrity and accountability.
Scopa chairperson Songezo Zibi welcomed Mkhwanazi’s possible appointment but warned that without additional funding, the move could be undermined from the outset.
“Gen Mkhwanazi will be the best appointment of the DPCI to date. However, he will need resources urgently. The Hawks have a 50% vacancy rate, poorly paid forensic financial investigators, a dire need for cyber capacity and a variety of other skills. As committed as he is, he will be set up to fail if his appointment is not accompanied by at least R1bn more for investigations. Otherwise we will once again show that we’re not serious about fighting corruption.”
Criminal law expert Dr Lennit Max, however, believes Mkhwanazi’s experience could make a greater contribution across the police service if he were appointed national commissioner when General Fannie Masemola’s term ends in March 2027.
Although Mkhwanazi’s career has largely been shaped by uniformed policing, including service in the Special Task Force and as a provincial commissioner, Max said his operational background could provide a valuable foundation for leading the national police service.
He said the national commissioner’s responsibilities extended beyond specialised investigations to visible policing at station level, where officers interact directly with communities.
“These officers require effective strategic direction, operational support and professional and operational leadership to improve service delivery and strengthen public confidence in the police,” he said.
Security strategist Andy Mashaile shared that view, arguing that appointing Mkhwanazi to the Hawks would limit his influence.
“It is not advisable to appoint Mkhwanazi in that role because the Hawks are a limited institution that reports to the national commissioner,” he told the Cape Times.
“When you give Mkhwanazi that responsibility, you hamstring his energy, his expertise and his skill set.”
Mashaile said Mkhwanazi had earned public trust and pointed to the arrests following recommendations by the Madlanga Commission as evidence of the effectiveness of his intelligence gathering and cooperation with intelligence structures.
He also argued that it would be wise to await the commission’s outcomes before beginning the SAPS reset and committing Mkhwanazi to a particular position.
Willem Els, from the Security Initiative of Africa, an NGO focused on organised crime and counter-terrorism, supported the proposed Hawks appointment, saying Mkhwanazi could bring stability, direction and renewed public confidence to the unit.
Despite budgetary constraints, Els believed strong leadership could help address the challenges. He also said Mkhwanazi’s departure would not leave a leadership vacuum in KwaZulu-Natal because he had built a strong team capable of continuing the work.
Mkhwanazi made national headlines in July 2025 when he held an explosive press conference exposing alleged high-level criminal infiltration and interference within the country’s criminal justice system.
