Mkhwanazi asserts that the IPID complaint letter has been withdrawn. A letter calling on KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi to respond to a complaint against him has allegedly been withdrawn. "Yes, I can confirm I was advised by the Independent Investigative Police Directorate (IPID) that I no longer need to respond and the letter has been withdrawn," Mkhwanazi told IOL when approached.

An anonymous complaint alleges that he protected a prison official who was dealing drugs at a prison facility in KwaZulu-Natal. This led to the withdrawal. Mkhwanazi has vehemently denied the allegations and maintained that he was the target of an assassination plot due to his tough stance on corruption and crime. When asked about it, IPID spokesperson Lizzy Suping said that only the directorate needed space to continue its investigations and would respond once they were finished. She did not say whether the letter had been withdrawn. She responded, "It's ongoing and once done, we will issue a statement," when asked if the investigations had been halted.

However, the Public Services Association, a trade union organization, urged IPID to end Mkhwanazi's "harassment." "It is impossible to conduct an investigation into someone and tell them not to respond to the allegations made against them. What kind of investigation is that? They need to put an end to the police commissioner's harassment and let him do his job. "Let him arrest criminals," said Reuben Maleka, a spokesperson for the Association.