Police minister Senzo Mchunu has rejected serious allegations made against him by KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, labelling them as “baseless”.

Speaking in Vryheid, KZN, while on the campaign trail ahead of by-elections on July 16, Mchunu said he was aware of several allegations made by Mkhwanazi.

On Sunday morning Mkhwanazi led a media briefing where he made damning allegations against Mchunu, accusing him of interfering in police investigations.

Mkhwanazi alleged that Mchunu had ordered the dissolution of the task team investigating political killings after the team had uncovered a drug cartel in Gauteng involving senior police officers, politicians, prosecutors and members of the judiciary.

According to Mkhwanazi, Mchunu gave the instruction to the national deputy police commissioner, Lt-Gen Shadrack Sibiya — a claim that Sibiya has denied.