South African Police Minister Senzo Mchunu has publicly denied ever meeting or speaking with businessman Vusimuzi "Cat" Matlala, countering allegations made by KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi. In a statement released on Wednesday, Mchunu said he has no relationship with Matlala and has never discussed police matters with him. Mkhwanazi recently claimed Matlala wielded influence with the minister and sought to dismantle the police task team investigating political killings in KwaZulu-Natal. The commissioner also suggested that Matlala benefitted from government contracts, casting the businessman as a powerful "tenderpreneur." Mchunu acknowledged knowing ANC member Brown Mogotsi, whom he described as a long-time comrade, but insisted he has never requested Mogotsi—or anyone else—to intervene in the task team’s work. The minister said the unit remains intact and that the police service continues to prioritise investigations into politically motivated violence in the province. The dispute adds tension to ongoing efforts to curb political killings in KwaZulu-Natal, a region that has recorded a high number of such cases. Neither Matlala nor Mkhwanazi has yet provided additional documentation to substantiate their respective positions.