Mapaballo Borotho
- Suspended Police Minister Senzo Mchunu is struggling to justify why he disbanded the Political Killings Task Team without consulting police leadership.
- Commissioners challenged him over claims that PKTT members would be moved to a Murder and Robbery Unit, citing documents that contradict his explanation.
- Mchunu continues giving testimony at the Madlanga Commission in Pretoria.
Suspended Police Minister Senzo Mchunu has been struggling to explain to the Madlanga Commission why he issued an order to disband the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT).
Mchunu sent the instruction to disband the team, which was reportedly yielding results in December 2024, without consulting any Police Commissioners.
Earlier this year, at the Ad Hoc Committee, Mchunu told Members of Parliament that President Cyril Ramaphosa knew of his plans to dissolve the PKTT.
He reportedly disbanded the team after they visited Vusi “Cat” Matlala’s house to search it following criminal allegations laid against him.
Wrapping up his testimony on Friday, Mchunu was questioned about task teams in the Eastern Cape, Western Cape, and KZN, which deal with other criminal matters, all of which are still operational, with the latter two in existence for about seven years.
Advocate Mahlape Sello questioned why Mchunu never considered acting on these temporary teams.
“I don’t understand why they could not be dissolved at the same time because they are in two different regions,” she said.
Mchunu responded:
“What got us to deal with the PKTT is different from what we are talking about. PKTT gets in the form of us looking at organisational structures.”
The Minister, who has since been placed on special leave, was again criticised for seemingly misinterpreting documents to justify his order to disband the PKTT.
Mchunu maintained that his order meant the PKTT and its members would be reintegrated into a specialised Murder and Robbery Unit. However, Commissioner Sesi Baloyi referred him to a letter issued in April by then Deputy Police Commissioner General Shadrack Sibiya, in which Sibiya instructs PKTT members to return to their “stations of origin”.
Mchunu insisted this implied the members would then work for the Murder and Robbery Unit.
“What Sibiya subsequently says could loosely be interpreted as saying, if you were from Limpopo and you are in PKTT in KZN, you will go back to your province in murder and robbery.”
Baloyi urged Mchunu not to lie, saying Sibiya’s letter is straightforward and simply tells PKTT members to return to their stations.
Mchunu continues with his testimony in Pretoria.
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