There was lack of consultation in Police Minister Senzo Mchunu’s decision to disband the KwaZulu-Natal SAPS political killings task team (PKTT).
This was revealed by Maj-Gen Petronella Margaretha van Rooyen, who is the head of governance, legislation and policy at the Legal Services of the SAPS.
Van Rooyen was speaking on Thursday during the sixth day of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into criminality, political interference and corruption.
The commission is sitting at the Brigitte Mabandla Justice College in Pretoria. It is chaired by retired Constitutional Court Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga.
Legislative framework
Van Rooyen was giving expert testimony on the legislative framework governing the South African Police Service (SAPS).
Van Rooyen told the commission’s chief evidence leader, Adv Terry Motau SC, that when Mchunu sent his PKTT disbandment letter to National Commissioner of Police Gen Fannie Masemola on December 31 2024, he did not consult the relevant “stakeholders”. Mchunu is currently on special leave.
Van Rooyen said Mchunu did not consult Masemola, KZN police commissioner Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi and the project leader of the PKTT Lt-Gen Dumisani Khumalo prior to issuing the disbandment letter in December last year.
Khumalo is also the national head of crime intelligence.
Van Rooyen also said Mchunu did not consult the Director of Public Prosecutions in KZN Adv Elaine Harrison, before taking a decision to disband the PKTT.
Earlier, Van Rooyen said Mchunu had no authority to disband the political killings task team.
During his testimony, Masemola said he has never issued an instruction to disband the PKTT.
Political killings task team operational
Masemola said the political killings task team remains operational.
After the conclusion of Van Rooyen’s testimony, the commission’s proceedings adjourned. They will resume on Friday at 9.30am.
A fourth witness is expected to testify on Friday.
Van Rooyen was the commission’s third witness.
Mkhwanazi was the commission’s first witness. He concluded his testimony last week Friday after testifying for three days.
The commission was established by President Cyril Ramaphosa on July 13. This was after Mkhwanazi’s explosive media briefing on July 6. In the briefing, he said politicians in parliament, police officers, metro police officers, correctional service officials, prosecutors and members of the judiciary are part of a criminal syndicate in Gauteng. They are controlled by drug cartels and business people in Gauteng, he added.
Mkhwanazi said Mchunu and deputy national commissioner of police responsible for crime detection, Lt-Gen Shadrack Sibiya, took a decision to disband the political killings task team because it raided the house of controversial Gauteng tenderpreneur and attempted murder-accused Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala. Also because the task team was making inroads in certain Gauteng cases.
In his current case, Matlala (49) is charged alongside his wife Tsakani (36). Also two alleged hitmen, Musa Kekana (35) and Tiego Floyd Mabusela (47), and Nthabiseng Nzama (23). They are charged for the attempted murder of Matlala’s ex-lover Tebogo Thobejane and her two friends, Anele Malinga and Khumbulani Ncube.
Attempted hit on kingpin ex-lover
The five accused are facing charges of conspiracy to commit murder, attempted murder, fraud, and money laundering. All in connection with the October 2023 alleged hit on Thobejane.
Matlala was denied bail by the Alexandra Magistrate’s Court on September 17. Coincidentally, the same day Mkhwanazi began his testimony at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry.
Matlala remains in police custody at the Kgosi Mampuru correctional centre in Pretoria.
The case against Matlala and his four co-accused returns to the Alexandra Magistrate’s Court on October 7. This is for the centralisation of two additional dockets from Pretoria. And also to facilitate the transfer of the case to the Johannesburg High Court.
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