Edward Senzo Mchunu (born 21 April 1958) is a South African politician currently serving as Minister of Police since 30 June 2024.[2] A member of the African National Congress (ANC), he has been a cabinet minister since May 2019. He was formerly the Premier of KwaZulu-Natal between 22 August 2013 and 23 May 2016.
In 2013, he succeeded Mkhize both as ANC Provincial Chairperson and as Premier of KwaZulu-Natal. However, he was ousted from the party office in November 2015 in a bitter contest with Sihle Zikalala. In May 2016 the ANC compelled him to resign from the Premier's office.
In 1991, after the African National Congress (ANC) was unbanned by the apartheid government, Mchunu became the inaugural Regional Secretary of the ANC's branch in Northern Natal. His appointment to this position marked his entrance to professional politics.[4] In 1994, he was elected as the inaugural Provincial Secretary of the ANC's KwaZulu-Natal branch, under Provincial ChairpersonJacob Zuma.[4]
He also returned to the ANC's provincial leadership corps from 1998, when he was elected ANC Deputy Provincial Secretary, serving under Provincial Chairperson S'bu Ndebele and Provincial Secretary Sipho Gcabashe.[5] He was re-elected in September 2002 despite a challenge to his incumbency by Mbuso Kubheka: he received 304 votes against Kubheka's 171.[6]
At the party's next provincial elective conference in May 2005, Mchunu was elected to succeed Gcabashe as Provincial Secretary,[7] apparently with the support of Jacob Zuma, who by then was Deputy President of South Africa.[8] While Provincial Secretary, Mchunu – like the incumbent ANC Provincial Chairperson, Zweli Mkhize – was reportedly a strong supporter of Zuma during Zuma's heated rivalry with ANC President Thabo Mbeki.[9][8][10] Mchunu was re-elected as Provincial Secretary in June 2008;[11] at that time he remained a Member of the Provincial Legislature.
KwaZulu-Natal Executive Council: 2009–2013
In the 2009 general election, Mchunu was re-elected to his legislative seat and Zweli Mkhize was elected Premier of KwaZulu-Natal. On 11 May 2009, Mkhize announced that he had appointed Mchunu to the KwaZulu-Natal provincial government as Member of the Executive Council (MEC) for Education.[12] Because Mchunu's role as ANC Provincial Secretary was full-time, it was incompatible with his government appointment; he vacated the party office and was replaced by his deputy, Sihle Zikalala, in July.[13] He remained MEC for Education until his own ascension to the premiership in 2013.[4][14]
Towards the end of his term as MEC, in March 2013, Mchunu was elected Provincial Chairperson of the KwaZulu-Natal ANC, succeeding Mkhize, who had been elected to the full-time position of national ANC Treasurer-General.[15] Mchunu received 385 votes against the 373 votes received by the other candidate, incumbent Deputy Provincial Chairperson Willies Mchunu.[16][17] According to the Mail & Guardian, his candidacy was opposed by Zuma (who by then was President of South Africa), apparently because Mchunu had not supported Zuma's bid for re-election at the ANC's 53rd National Conference in December 2012.[17]
KwaZulu-Natal Premier: 2013–2016
In order to take up the Treasurer-General position, Mkhize also resigned from his government position as KwaZulu-Natal Premier; Mchunu was sworn in as acting Premier on 22 August 2013[18] and on 26 September 2013 was formally elected to succeed Mkhize.[19] In the 2014 general election, Mchunu was elected to a full term as Premier.[20]
At the ANC's next provincial elective conference in November 2015, Mchunu ran for re-election as ANC Provincial Chairperson but was defeated by his one-time deputy, Sihle Zikalala, who received 780 votes against Mchunu's 675.[21] Mchunu also failed to gain election as an ordinary member of the ANC Provincial Executive Committee.[22] The outcome led to an outbreak of bitter factionalism in the provincial party, reportedly leading to several political assassinations.[22][23] Mchunu's supporters claimed that the vote had been rigged and successfully challenged it in the courts, leading in late 2017 to the nullification of the election and the dissolution of Zikalala's leadership corps.[23][24]
However, by then, Mchunu had been removed from the KwaZulu-Natal premiership: he resigned on 23 May 2016 under significant pressure from leaders of both the provincial and the national ANC.[22][25][26] He said that he had informed the national ANC leadership that he had "reservations" about the circumstances of his departure.[27][28] Shortly afterwards, the ANC announced that he would be replaced as Premier by Willies Mchunu and that he would be offered an ANC seat in the national Parliament.[27][28]
National political career
Luthuli House: 2017–2019
Ahead of the ANC's 54th National Conference, Mchunu stood to succeed Gwede Mantashe as ANC Secretary-General. He ran on an informal slate aligned to Cyril Ramaphosa[29] – he was reportedly a longstanding supporter of Ramaphosa's bid to be elected ANC President.[30] Indeed, the Daily Maverick said that Mchunu became Ramaphosa's "chief campaigner in KwaZulu-Natal".[31] At the conference, held at Nasrec in December 2017, Ramaphosa won the presidency but Mchunu lost the Secretary-General position in a vote to Ace Magashule, who received 2,360 votes to Mchunu's 2,336. Because of the narrow 24-vote margin that decided the contest, the outcome was subject to controversy and a recount.[32][33][34]
Despite his defeat in the Secretary-General race, the 54th National Conference elected Mchunu to a five-year term as an ordinary member of the ANC National Executive Committee. He received 1,800 votes across the 4,283 ballots cast, making him the 18th-most popular of the 80 candidates elected.[35] In February 2018, he was appointed chairperson of organising and campaigns in the party, a full-time position that was based out of the ANC's national headquarters at Luthuli House in Johannesburg and that involved working closely with the Secretary-General's office.[36] Ramaphosa and his supporters had reportedly pushed for Mchunu to be appointed to the role, while Ace Magashule's preferred candidate was Dakota Legoete, who was appointed Mchunu's deputy.[37][38]
After the May 2024 election, President Cyril Ramaphosa announced his new cabinet in which he appointed Mchunu to the position of Police Minister, succeeding Bheki Cele[43]
On 1 July 2024, South African Police Union (SAPU), welcomed Mchunu's appointment as the new Police Minister, however did issue as stern warning to stay in his lane and not interfere with operational matters of police. While Police, Prisons and Civil Rights Union (Popcru), challenged Mchunu to stop the killing of law enforcement officers and over crowded prisons [44]
On the 15th of July 2024, Mchunu held a press conference in which he outlined his priorities as Minister of Police. Indicating the need to modernize South African policing. Stating the crime levels in the country were too high and intolerable, and that tough measures needed for certain crime reduction strategies.[45]
Crime
In November 2024, Mchunu released the Second Quarter Crime Statistics for 2024/2025 financial year, and also reflected on his first 100 days in office. Giving a detailed breakdown of the statistics, Mchunu indicated that murder had decreased by 5.8%, sexual offences by 2.5%, robbery with aggravated circumstances by 8.8%, additionally rape decreased by 3.1%.[46]
Construction Mafia
Extortion in the South African Construction Industry has been an issue troubling Mchunu's predecessor Bheki Cele. These extortionists forcefully extract protection fees from local construction companies and contractors or extort a portion of the cost of an infrastructure project, having derailed and delayed construction projects worth billions of Rands. Extortion in the construction industry in South Africa had led to the media dubbing these extortionists the 'Construction Mafia.' [47]
On 19 of November 2024, Mchunu as Minister of Police along with the Minister of Public Works and Infrastructure, Dean Macpherson, organized The Summit on Crime-Free Construction Sites at the Durban International Convention Center to address the growing concern surrounding safety and other criminal activity caused by the Construction Mafia.[48] At the Summit Mchunu declared that the Construction Mafia was Public Enemy Number One. Adding that he had roped in the Directorate of Priority Crimes Investigations (DCPI) also known as Hawks (South Africa), to get involved and target the masterminds behind the extortion in the construction industry.[49]
ANC NEC
At the ANC's 55th National Conference in December 2022, Mchunu was re-elected to a second five-year term on the party's National Executive Committee; he was ranked sixth of the 80 candidates elected, receiving 1,932 votes across 4,029 ballots.[50] In the run-up to the conference, he was also considered a likely running mate for Ramaphosa, who was running for re-election to the ANC presidency;[51][52][53] however, he ultimately was not nominated to stand for a top party office.
Personal life
Mchunu married Thembeka (born 31 January 1968) in July 1990.[54] She is also a politician.[55][56] They have four children – Zinhle, Mathuthu, Jama, and Phakade – and grandchildren.[54]
