Mchunu admits disbanded PKTT was effective in tackling political killings
Suspended Police Minister Senzo Mchunu acknowledges the effectiveness of the disbanded Political Killings Task Team during the Madlanga Commission.
Image: Oupa Mokoena / Independent Newspapers
SUSPENDED Police Minister Senzo Mchunu has acknowledged the effectiveness of the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT), despite his controversial decision to disband it at the end of 2024.
Speaking before the Madlanga Commission led by retired Constitutional Court Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga and tasked with probing criminality, political interference, and corruption within the criminal justice system Mchunu admitted that the PKTT had fulfilled its mandate.
Mchunu expressed agreement with a January 2025 preliminary report by National Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola.
“The task team (PKTT) has undeniably achieved and far exceeded the purpose for which it was established.”
Pressed by evidence leader Advocate Mahlape Sello SC on whether he endorsed the report’s conclusion, Mchunu responded affirmatively, albeit with caution.
“Political killings have since gone down since particularly from 2023 in KwaZulu-Natal. By and large, they have achieved. Violence in relation to political killings has gone down, and the PKTT has been a factor among other factors,” he said.
Despite this, Mchunu defended his decision to dissolve the task team on December 31, 2024, citing administrative concerns. He argued that the PKTT, originally intended as a six-month intervention, had overstayed its purpose by operating for seven years.
“The continued existence of the PKTT is administratively untenable,” he stated.
When questioned about the longevity of other task teams specifically Operation Lockdown/Thunder in the Western Cape and Operation Manguzi Cross-border in KwaZulu-Natal, Mchunu acknowledged similar concerns.
“They were also of concern and I was about to land on them too,” he said, adding, “I had grave concerns, not just concerns about them.”
He criticized Operation Lockdown/Thunder for underperformance.
“They haven’t performed up to the level that is required, and I discussed with the national commissioner on a number of occasions.”
“We haven’t really been as effective as we need to be in terms of the demands or expectations of the people of Manguzi.”
While defending the sequence of his decisions, Mchunu emphasized, “You couldn’t do everything at the same time,” he said
“What got us to attend to the PKTT is different from what we are talking about.”