A judicial commission set up by South Africa's president to investigate explosive claims by a top cop linking politicians to criminal gangs began its public hearings on Wednesday, weeks after a delayed start.

Africa's most industrialised nation is plagued by deep-rooted crime and corruption, fuelled by organised networks.

In July, provincial police chief Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi accused police minister Senzo Mchunu and other senior officials of obstructing investigations into the cases, including politically motivated murders.

The allegations led President Cyril Ramaphosa to suspend Mchunu and announce the three-member commission, chaired by a former Constitutional Court judge.

Mkhwanazi, a prominent lieutenant general with more than three decades of service, was the first to testify before

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