Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi lined up to lead the Hawks

Acting police minister Firoz Cachalia has asked the cabinet to approve the appointment of KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi as the new head of the Hawks.

Cachalia has submitted a memorandum seeking the cabinet’s concurrence for Mkhwanazi’s appointment as national head of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI), which investigates organised crime, corruption and other serious offences.

The memorandum will be presented at the earliest opportunity during a cabinet sitting, police ministry spokesperson Kamogelo Mogotsi said in a statement on Tuesday.

The appointment process is being conducted in terms of the South African Police Service Act, which requires the police minister to appoint the head of the Hawks with the cabinet’s concurrence.

The act also requires the appointment to be reported to parliament.

Mogotsi said appointing a national head was important to ensuring strong leadership, strategic direction and operational effectiveness in tackling serious crime.

The DPCI is a key part of the government’s efforts to fight organised crime and corruption, which Cachalia identified as priorities under the Police Reset Agenda.

Mkhwanazi’s appointment is not yet final, as it still requires the cabinet’s concurrence.

If approved, he will take over leadership of the elite crime-fighting unit responsible for investigating priority offences, including serious corruption and organised criminal activity.