Mkhwanazi Implicated in Alleged Torture, Illegal Extradition, and Abuse of Power

KwaZulu-Natal’s police commissioner, Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, is at the centre of disturbing allegations involving forced abductions, violent interrogations, and illegal cross-border transfers. A confidential police dossier and an affidavit from an alleged victim paint a bleak picture of how police resources may have been used to bypass court processes, inflict bodily harm, and destroy evidence—all under the watch of senior leadership.

The unfolding case, now under review by the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid), reads like an intelligence thriller. But for Esmael Maulide Ramos Nangy, a Mozambican national living in South Africa, the events of late 2024 and early 2025 have left lasting physical and emotional scars.

‘They Said Nothing, Just Guns’: Abduction Without Warning

According to Nangy’s affidavit, the nightmare began on a routine drive from Mpumalanga to Johannesburg in November 2024. At the Craft Road interchange near Benoni, a white VW Golf 8 and a BMW were boxed in their vehicle. Armed men emerged. They offered no identification and showed no warrant. Nangy claims the men, allegedly police officers and private contractors, dragged them out, forced them onto the ground, and covered their heads.

“They didn’t explain anything. They just used guns and force,” Nangy states.

What followed was not a formal arrest. It was a disappearance. The men were taken to a house in Houghton, Johannesburg, not a police station. There, the real ordeal began. Nangy alleges their clothes were cut off while they were handcuffed, resulting in injuries. Nothing was officially logged—no cash, phones, or even Nangy’s luxury car, a Mercedes-Benz, appeared in any police inventory.

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Interrogation, Genital Torture, and Water Drowning Alleged

Nangy describes hours of relentless torture. The alleged abusers wanted him to confess to his role in the September 2024 kidnapping of businessman Zak Desai—a charge later withdrawn in January 2025, along with cases against two others, Setefane Pereira da Costa Brites and Samkeliso Mlotshwa.

Interrogators presented photos of Nangy dining with a man named Jumin Ho in Durban and accused him of assisting in an extortion plot by buying airtime. Nangy denied all links. When he refused to unlock his iPhone, he says he was choked with a plastic bag filled with water. After two hours, he gave them access.

“The worst moment,” he wrote, “was when they forced me to phone my wife. They made threats and told her I would be returned in pieces if she didn’t help them locate this man.”

The abuse escalated when the suspects were separated. Nangy’s companion was taken to Mpumalanga. On November 20, he was allegedly hung upside down and subjected to more water torture. They were later moved to KwaDukuza, KwaZulu-Natal, and another location near the Mozambique border.

At one point, one of the suspects required medical attention due to injuries “consistent with torture,” as noted in the police report.

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Farm Interrogations and Mkhwanazi Involvement

On December 9, 2024, the abuse took an even darker turn. Nangy, his co-accused, and a third man—an SAPS officer—were reportedly removed from their correctional facilities and taken to a private farm near KwaDukuza. There, according to the report, General Mkhwanazi himself and members of the Desai family confronted the trio.

It’s here that some of the most shocking accusations are made. A statement in the internal report reads: “It is alleged that the PC (Provincial Commissioner) General Mkhwanazi told the officer, ‘You should have committed suicide.’”

Two of the suspects were again beaten in front of Mkhwanazi and the family members of the complainant, the report alleges. This incident is being treated as a direct violation of due process, possibly implicating the highest level of police command in a matter involving extrajudicial conduct since the PC Mkhwanazi is alleged to have been present.

The same report confirms that Nangy’s vehicle, the missing Mercedes-Benz, had been officially booked into SAPS storage. It was later found burned in Pietermaritzburg. The implication? It was destroyed while still in state custody.

“The arson of an impounded vehicle isn’t just a cover-up. It’s a 15-year offence if proven,” the report notes.

The third suspect’s house in Matsulu, Mpumalanga, was also torched during what police claimed was a search. He was not present at the time. It does not mention if General Mkhwanazi was present.

Missing Property, Unlawful Raid, and a Call for Accountability

Despite repeated legal efforts, Nangy says none of his property has been returned. He lists missing phones, watches, R18,000 in cash, and his car. An additional raid on his Midstream home, allegedly conducted by the Hawks without a warrant, led to the detention of his wife and further confiscation of property.

Authorities now face pressure to act. The confidential internal report recommends a wide range of charges—torture, arson, perjury, kidnapping, illegal extradition, obstruction of justice, and abuse of power. It calls for a “firm, independent, and courageous prosecutor” to take on the matter.

There’s also fear. The whistleblower who authored the report warns that their safety is at risk if charges go forward.

Parallel Investigations and Presidential Oversight

Ipid has confirmed that investigations are underway but has refused to comment further. Spokesperson Lizzy Suping noted that a presidential commission has been formed to probe alleged abuses within the country’s law enforcement agencies, including the SAPS.

As the case unfolds, questions are mounting. Were these actions a rogue mission by a few officers, or does this reflect a broader culture of impunity within elite units of the police? And if senior officials are implicated, will there be accountability?

KZNDaily will continue following the developments in this case.