Cedrick Nkabinde, the Chief of Staff to the suspended Minister of Police Senzo Mchunu claims that he was being targeted after police raided his home during his absence and allegedly assaulted his brother thinking that it was him.

Nkabinde called a media briefing on Thursday afternoon and detailed how police barged into his flat looking for him on Wednesday evening.

He accused KZN Police Commissioner Lt-Gen. Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi and the National Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola for plotting to seize his electronic devices.

He claimed the devices contain evidence which will be used at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry and at the Ad hoc Committee probing corruption in the police service.

Nkabinde further claimed that the same police officers believed to be from KZN, also tried to gain access to Mchunu’s home but were unsuccessful.

He said the two generals have been testifying while sending officers to harass him and the minister.

“They want to remove evidence from our gadgets because we’ve got valuable evidence that we want to present at the Madlanga Commission and Ad Hoc Committee….They are sending police to remove our gadgets with our evidence. The timing is questionable,” he said.

Nkabinde also addressed allegations made by Mkhwanazi suggesting that he entered the position without a comprehensive understanding of what a chief of staff entails.

“My impression is Mr Nkabinde was appointed a minister’s chief of staff and had no clue what a chief of staff does. He had to learn as he was going,” Mkhwanazi told the Ad hoc Committee.

In response, Nkabinde said he was friends with Mkhwanazi, they used to visit each other and party together.

“When I was employed in the private sector, General Mkhwanazi knew where I was working, he used to come to my workplace and visit me. He used to attend our end year functions. But now because of desperate moves to tarnish my name, he blatantly lied that Minister Mchunu found me unemployed,” he said.

Furthermore, he added that he is arranging with his lawyers to engage with the Commission and Ad Hoc Committee to hand over the gadgets so that they can be kept safe until their appearance.

He also added that he was available for any investigations or search and seizure operations as he has nothing to hide, however, he can only be contacted through his lawyers because he doesn’t feel safe around police as there’s an alleged attempt to link him and the Mchunu to wrongdoing.

“I want to tell South Africans that should anything happen to me, the National Commissioner General Masemola will be responsible,” he said.

sinenhlanhla.masilela@iol.co.za

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