Mpho Kwinika

Exposing Corruption in Police Surveillance Procurement

Faced victimisation, internal pressures, and dismissal.

Lieutenant-Colonel Mpho Kwinika, a seasoned police officer and former president of the South African Police Union (Sapu), is one of the brave individuals who stepped forward to expose corruption within the South African Police Service (SAPS) Crime Intelligence Division.

In 2019, Kwinika supported Brigadier Tiyani Hlungwani, who had raised red flags about a dubious R45-million procurement deal involving an IMSI-catcher — an advanced surveillance tool used to intercept mobile phone communications. Whistleblowers alleged the purchase price had been grossly inflated by over R35 million, with indications that the funds were intended to finance vote-buying at the ANC’s 2017 elective conference.

Kwinika’s principled stand came at great personal cost. Following his involvement in exposing the deal and submitting a memorandum to President Cyril Ramaphosa and then-Minister of Police Bheki Cele, questioning the fitness of then-national police commissioner Khehla Sitole to hold office, Kwinika faced severe retaliation. He accused Sitole of “classifying documents to conceal corruption” — allegations that later aligned with broader investigations into misconduct, including obstruction of a probe into the assassination of anti-gang unit detective Lt-Col Charl Kinnear.

On 27 March 2019, shortly after submitting the memo, Kwinika was allegedly assaulted by fellow officers. He sustained multiple injuries — including broken ribs, a fractured hand, a damaged eardrum, and partial vision loss. He was detained without medical care, charged with causing a public disturbance and resisting arrest—charges that were later withdrawn.

Despite a Labour Court ruling in 2020 declaring his dismissal from Sapu unlawful and ordering his reinstatement, Kwinika continued to face disciplinary actions and was ultimately forced out of the SAPS in 2021.

Today, he continues to fight for reinstatement and has expressed his willingness to testify before a commission of inquiry into systemic corruption and abuse within the SAPS, as raised by current KZN Police Commissioner Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi.

Kwinika’s story is one of resilience, integrity, and the high personal cost of exposing institutional wrongdoing. His courage stands as a testament to the vital role whistleblowers play in safeguarding democracy and public accountability.