Jeff Radebe Dismisses Possibility of Unrest if Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi Is Punished, Mzansi Doesn’t Agree
- African National Congress KwaZulu-Natal convener, Jeff Radebe, weighed in on the threats of unrest
- South Africans have threatened to take to the streets if Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi is punished
- Social media users reacted to Radebe's comments about the situation, speculating on what he meant by them
Source: Getty Images
Briefly News journalist Byron Pillay has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He spent 10 years working for the Northern Natal Courier before transitioning to online journalism.
KWAZULU-NATAL - Jeff Radebe doesn’t believe there will be unrest in the country like 2021 if anything happens to Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi.
Radebe, the African National Congress (ANC) KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) convener, weighed in on the possibility of unrest if the KZN Police Commissioner was punished for breaking protocol with his press briefing.
The province’s top cop held a media briefing on 6 July 2025, where he detailed corruption and political interference within the police force.
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Why could there be unrest?
With Lt-Gen Mkhwanazi breaking protocol by making the allegations publicly, there are fears that he could be punished for doing so. South Africans have rallied behind the provincial commissioner, warning that they would take to the streets to defend him.
Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla, who has been accused of inciting violence during the July unrest in 2021, has also warned that action would be taken if Mkhwanazi is punished.
What did Radebe say?
Despite the numerous threats, Radebe said he did not believe that the 2021 scenes would be repeated. KZN was hardest hit by the unrest that broke out following the arrest of former president Jacob Zuma.
"From where I sit, I don’t foresee any upheaval at the moment. This is just a normal press conference, even though it was dramatic," Radebe said.
Source: Getty Images
What you need to know about Mkhwanazi's allegations
- President Cyril Ramaphosa responded to the claims Mkhwanazi made, saying he was sowing confusion.
- The uMkhonto weSizwe Party, the Democratic Alliance, and the Economic Freedom Fighters reacted to the allegations.
- Police Minister Mchunu, whom Mkhwanazi accused, flatly denied the allegations made against him.
- The Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Police, Ian Cameron, said Mchunu must appear before Parliament.
- Duduzile Zuma-Sambudla promised that action would be taken if anything happened to Mkhwanazi.
- Security has been tightened outside the KZN Police Commissioner’s home as he received some threats.
How did South Africans react?
Social media users weighed in on Radebe’s statement, with some questioning if that was him saying that Mkhwanazi would be punished.
Squatter Rama stated:
“Essentially, he's saying that he's going to be suspended.”
Kogie Moodley noted:
“Why did the first one happen? You should not rule out the possibility.”
Dzivhuluwani Mphephu said:
“Suspend Mkhwanazi if you want to watch a movie.”
Suren Sewsunker added:
“Seriously, Radebe. General Mkhwanazi has opened a can of worms. The people of South Africa stand by him.”
Sibonelo Thabede asked:
“Did he foresee July 2021 before it happened?”
Bra Sparks claimed:
“They must try us. The whole country will be ungovernable if they touch Lt Gen Mkhwanazi.
Looking at the KZN unrest
More than 300 people were killed during the July 2021 unrest that gripped KwaZulu-Natal and parts of Gauteng.
The riots were triggered by the arrest of former President Jacob Zuma and quickly escalated into widespread looting and violence. The South African Special Risks Insurance Association (Sasria) estimated its liabilities from related claims to be between R15 billion and R20 billion.
In Gauteng, the provincial government reported economic losses of R5 billion and the destruction of 80 out of 500 shopping malls. Around 18,000 jobs were lost in the province, while KwaZulu-Natal saw over 30,000 job losses. Spaza shops and other small businesses were also heavily targeted.
The National Empowerment Fund (NEF) and the Solidarity Fund launched a R450 million support programme for affected small, medium, and micro enterprises (SMMEs). The Department of Trade, Industry and Competition (DTIC) approved R1.5 billion in relief funding to assist businesses impacted by the unrest.
Ramaphosa to hold family meeting to address allegations
Briefly News reported that President Cyril Ramaphosa will address the nation on Sunday, 13 July 2025.
The president will discuss the allegations made by Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi.
South Africans shared their thoughts on Ramaphosa's upcoming address and speculated on what he would say.
Source: Briefly News
