KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi has strongly criticised MP Fadiel Adams after being accused of cowardice in relation to his conduct during the 2021 July unrest.
Adams previously accused Mkhwanazi of going on leave during the unrest period, a claim that resurfaced during parliamentary proceedings on Wednesday as the commissioner concluded his testimony.
A visibly frustrated Mkhwanazi told MPs that he had returned to KwaZulu-Natal as quickly as possible during the crisis, saying he left behind his wife and newborn child in order to resume duty. He said he took particular offence at suggestions that he had prioritised family over his professional responsibilities.
“I left everything and came back to KZN,” he told Parliament, adding that he made significant personal sacrifices to help restore order during the violent unrest.
Mkhwanazi further stated that operational command during the crisis was at times overseen by then Defence Minister Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, who he said coordinated aspects of the response from a hotel in Durban.
“The facts and timelines of the violence are there. We are not in the business of thumb sucking dates,” he said.
The July 2021 unrest, which saw widespread looting and violence across parts of KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng, remains a subject of ongoing political debate and scrutiny over the state’s response.