By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The suspended police minister Senzo Mchunu has testified at the Parliament Ad-Hoc Committee on his role in the disbandment of the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT).
Mchunu said he took full responsibility for the decision made on 31 December 2024 to disband the team, which was at the centre of the explosive July media briefing by KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, who claimed political interference led to the disbandment of the PKTT.
He insists he wrote the letter, contrary to claims by Mkhwanazi that someone else was behind it.
(Mchunu’s 31 December 2024 letter to disband the PKTT was issued when national commissioner Fannie Masemola was on leave.)
He detailed his reasoning for disbanding the PKTT.
He referred to a work study that gave rise to a new police structure, in other words, a policing organogram.
He said it was his “belief that if you continue to have a Political Killings Task Team you are not recognising the new work study and the new organogram”.
This organogram was in place, signed and needed to be funded and implemented.
“I’m convinced that if this organogram is implemented it will have an impact on murders, on firearms and so on, on crime in South Africa,” said Mchunu.
The organogram dealt with political killings not just in KwaZulu-Natal, but nationally.
Mchunu made it clear that if the PKTT remained operational and the organogram was implemented, this would, in effect, duplicate what was in the organogram.
He said another reason that he ordered the PKTT’s disbandment was because “when I assumed duties together with the deputy minister, we got a number of people talking to us”.
Mchunu is on special leave from his role as Minister of Police as a result of the allegations made against him.
On Friday, Evidence leader Advocate Norman Arendse asked Mchunu whether had informed the President about his move to shut down the PKTT.
Mchunu said he had briefed President Cyril Ramaphosa on the disbandment after the fact, and that he agreed with the briefing he gave him.
When asked by committee member, Julius Malema if Ramaphosa agreed to the disbandment of the PKTT, Mchunu said: “The answer in the affidavit is that I briefed the president, he agreed with The briefing I gave him”.
“I sought an appointment and it was granted, “Mchunu told the committee.
“I went to present that I had made this decision in December last year. I don’t recall the exact date, but it was either January or February. I am prepared to check.”
He explained that the briefing to Ramaphosa was meant to pre-empt what he saw as mounting political tensions related to the task team.
“I told him these matters, among others, led me to disband the political task team. If I had not acted then, there might have been calls for a commission of inquiry on those matters. So I decided to pre-empt such a call.”
Earlier in the day, the committee heard from Mchunu about his fraught relationship with Mkhwanazi.
The minister revealed that he had advised his chief of staff, Cedrick Nkabinde, to record conversations with the KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner after detecting what he described as threats of retaliation over the PKTT’s disbandment.
Arendse pressed Mchunu on why he had refused to meet with Mkhwanazi – who had repeatedly requested a meeting to discuss urgent policing matters.
“I wanted to meet General Mkhwanazi privately, but it just did not happen,” said Mchunu.
A recording of a conversation between Nkabinde and Mkwanazi was played as part of what the suspended police minister said was evidence of threats made by the KwaZulu-Natal commissioner.
The clip played on Friday however did not corroborate this claim.
The committee will be back on Tuesday, with the evidence leader expected to conclude his cross examination and MPs can start to ask the minister questions.
The Parliamentary ad hoc committee is running parallel to the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry — both are investigations of criminal infiltration into law enforcement and politics.
Watch Live in the video below:
Video Courtesy of Parliament.