Prof Maluleke: Moving Mkhwanazi To Hawks Clips His Wings — Limpopo Academic Wants Him At The Top

A University of Limpopo criminologist has warned that the proposed transfer of Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi to head the Hawks would amount to a demotion in real terms, arguing that the KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner belongs in the highest echelons of the South African Police Service rather than in a role that would constrain his operational independence.

Professor Witness Maluleke, who heads the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of Limpopo, said the move should not be mistaken for career advancement. According to Maluleke, Mkhwanazi’s track record in dismantling complex criminal networks and leading high-level task forces makes him the most suitable candidate for the positions of National Police Commissioner or Deputy National Police Commissioner . The academic’s intervention comes as Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia has formally submitted a memorandum to Cabinet seeking concurrence for Mkhwanazi’s appointment as National Head of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, commonly known as the Hawks .

Maluleke’s central concern is structural. He argues that as a provincial commissioner, Mkhwanazi currently exercises a degree of autonomous executive authority that would be severely curtailed within the Hawks framework, where he would be required to report through intermediary administrative channels and senior officers within the broader SAPS apparatus . In effect, the move would “clip his wings” — reducing his capacity to act decisively on the very investigations that have defined his tenure.

The timing of the proposed transfer has raised further questions. Maluleke cautioned that the lateral move could represent a deliberate attempt to sideline Mkhwanazi from high-stakes probes involving prominent political figures and senior state officials, including sensitive investigations touching on suspended Police Minister Senzo Mchunu and former Crime Intelligence deputy head Major-General Feroz Khan . The academic emphasised that the public and civil society should be deeply concerned by any administrative manoeuvring that moves a law enforcement leader known for tackling high-level state corruption into a position that could neutralise his ability to see those investigations through.

The Hawks have been without a permanent national head since the retirement of General Godfrey Lebeya in May 2025, with Lieutenant General Siphesihle Nkosi serving in an acting capacity . Cachalia has defended the recommendation as part of a broader effort to stabilise the directorate and strengthen the fight against organised crime, saying the appointment is critical to the Police Reset Agenda . Cabinet’s concurrence remains pending, and the appointment must subsequently be reported to Parliament. For Maluleke and others watching the process, the question is not whether Mkhwanazi deserves promotion, but whether the Hawks posting would instead function as a sophisticated form of containment.

Source https://x.com/CapricornFMNews/status/2116824680770253069