By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia slammed National Commissioner Fannie Masemola’s decision to move 121 dockets on political killings before SAPS inquiry commences its work.
Masemola has issued a directive that the case files that were seized will be returned to the KZN Political Killings Task Team.
This comes after KZN comissioner General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, claimed that the dockets that were under investigation were taken away from the political killings task team by the Deputy Police Commissioner for crime detection, Shadrack Sibiya.
The claims led to Sibiya being suspended pending the outcome of the police commission of inquiry by retired Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga.
According to General Mkhwanazi, 121 dockets were taken away from the KZN political killings task team due to interference by Police Minister Senzo Mchunu and Sibiya.
In a statement, Cachalia said following his appointment, he requested Masemola to furnish him with a detailed report on the Task Team – a report which he is yet to receive.
Cachalia said he was concerned that decisions were taken regarding the Political Killings Task Team before the judicial commission of inquiry had a chance to investigate the issues surrounding the Task Team.
“I recognise that the allegations made in relation to the Political Killings Task Team are of immense public interest. The Political Killings Task Team is at the centre of the allegations made by the Provincial Commissioner and will be dealt with by the Commission.
“It is a concern therefore that steps are being taken in relation to this matter before the Commission has had a chance to investigate the issues surrounding the Task Team. I have requested the National Commissioner to submit his report without further delay,” he said.
Masemola also revealed that the ministry will be opening a leg of the political killings task team in Gauteng in the next four weeks to tackle the number of unresolved cases.
“We have a number of unresolved cases in Gauteng that are murders of politicians and also taxi-related [murders] that are quite complex,” he said.
The inquiry was given three months to submit an interim report to the president, and six months to file a final report on its findings however it has since been postponed and said it would only set a new starting date once all infrastructure requirements have been fully met.