A senior South African police officer, Brigadier Mzwandile Mkhize, narrowly escaped an assassination attempt on Tuesday morning when unknown gunmen ambushed his convoy in Durban. The attack, which left two bodyguards injured, has plunged the country's state security apparatus into further turmoil, raising questions about the stability of law enforcement as South Africa grapples with rising violent crime and political tension.
The ambush occurred on the N3 highway near the Key Ridge off-ramp at approximately 7:30 a.m. Brigadier Mkhize, a high-ranking officer in the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (known as the Hawks), was travelling to the Durban office when his vehicle came under heavy fire from an unidentified black SUV. Police sources confirmed that Mkhize sustained minor injuries from shattered glass, but his bodyguards were shot in the legs and are now in stable condition at a local hospital.
This is not an isolated incident. It comes just months after the attempted murder of another top police official in Gauteng and amidst a wave of targeted killings of law enforcement officers. The South African Police Service (SAPS) has recorded more than 60 murders of officers in the past two years, a figure that has drawn sharp criticism from the Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (POPCRU). “Each attack erodes the morale of our men and women on the front line,” said POPCRU spokesperson Richard Mamabolo. “The state must act decisively to protect its protectors.”
The attack on Brigadier Mkhize has been linked to his role in high-profile investigations, including cases involving organised crime syndicates and corruption within state-owned enterprises. Intelligence sources suggest the hit was likely orchestrated by individuals or groups threatened by his work. “Mkhize has been a thorn in the side of many powerful criminals. This is a deliberate attempt to silence him,” a senior investigator told the press on condition of anonymity.
The response from the government has been swift but cautious. Minister of Police Bheki Cele condemned the attack in a statement, vowing to “leave no stone unturned” in bringing the assailants to justice. However, critics argue that the lack of progress in previous similar investigations reveals a deeper rot in the system. “We have heard these promises before,” said David Bruce, a independent researcher on policing and crime. “The state’s inability to secure its officials is a symptom of a broader failure to tackle the criminal networks that infiltrate the security apparatus itself.”
For ordinary South Africans, the incident is another jarring reminder of the violence that permeates daily life. In KwaZulu-Natal, where the attack took place, residents are accustomed to political assassinations and taxi violence, but the targeting of a senior officer on a public highway feels different. “If they can go after the head of the Hawks, who is safe?” asked Thandiwe Zulu, a street vendor in Durban’s city centre. “We need the police to be strong, but if they are being killed, how can they protect us?”
The attack also places new strain on President Cyril Ramaphosa’s security apparatus, which has faced mounting criticism for its handling of violent crime. The ruling African National Congress (ANC) has been accused of allowing factional battles to compromise police integrity, with several officers arrested for colluding with criminals over the past year. “The line between state agents and criminals has never been thinner,” lamented political analyst Ralph Mathekga. “Unless there is political will to clean house, these attacks will continue.”
As the sun sets on Durban, the search for the gunmen continues. Brigadier Mkhize is recovering at an undisclosed location, his role in the fight against corruption perhaps more exposed than ever. But for now, the fragility of South Africa’s security state has been laid bare in a hail of bullets on a city street.
