National Commissioner of Police Gen Fannie Masemola said Police Minister Senzo Mchunu, who is on special leave, told him that President Cyril Ramaphosa is in agreement with the decision to immediately disband the KwaZulu-Natal SAPS political killings task team (PKTT).
Masemola said Mchunu told him this during a March 27 2025 meeting they held to discuss the work of the PKTT.
He was speaking on Tuesday during the fifth day of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into criminality, political interference and corruption. The commission’s public hearings are taking place at the Brigitte Mabandla Justice College in Pretoria.
The commission of inquiry is chaired by retired Constitutional Court Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga.
Letter of disbandment
During his testimony on Tuesday, Masemola told the commission’s chief evidence leader Adv Terry Motau SC that on March 27 2025, there was a meeting held to discuss the work of the PKTT and whether it should be disbanded or not.
Mchunu issued a letter to Masemola on December 31 2024 that the PKTT be immediately disbanded.
Present at the meeting was Masemola, Mchunu, Deputy Ministers of police Cassel Mathale and Polly Boshielo, Deputy National Police Commissioner for crime detection Lt-Gen Shadrack Sibiya, National Head of Crime Intelligence Lt-Gen Dumisani Khumalo, and other senior police officers.
Khumalo is the project leader of the PKTT.
Masemola said during the meeting, Mchunu became “visibly angry” when he realised that the cases of the PKTT were increasing.
Mchunu ‘angry’ at task team success cases
“When we got to the agenda item of the PKTT, the minister [Mchunu] became visibly angry. In our previous meeting on March 6 2025 there was a proposed plan that the PKTT would not be taking any new cases. There was an increase in the work of the PKTT and its cases increased. The minister picked it up and became angry,” said Masemola.
“The work of the PKTT increased because the task team was investigating the murder of an ANC ward councillor in KZN who was shot and killed on 4 February 2025. The task team arrested suspects linked to the killing of the councillor.
“I found the minister’s reaction quite strange. It was the first time in my career to see a police minister angry that police have done a good job. That they have arrested someone linked to the killing of the councillor,” said Masemola.
“He was angry that the PKTT took over the docket of the murdered councillor. The PKTT was able to do further investigations on the murder of the councillor and arrested suspects related to the murder. This made the minister angry,” said Masemola.
“The minister’s conduct boggled my mind. The fact is you have police who have linked suspects to the councillor’s murder. You don’t appreciate that. You are angry that they [PKTT] exist and have been successful. Why do we have police? Are we not having police to fight crime…,” said Masemola.
Masemola said after Mchunu got angry, the meeting ended abruptly. With Mchunu saying he will no longer talk to Khumalo and the PKTT members.
President allegedly agreed to disbandment
“He said he will only speak to me only. The minister said he did not understand why we are so adamant that the PKTT should not be disbanded. The minister said the president [Cyril Ramaphosa] is in agreement that the PKTT be disbanded.
“I was taken aback with that statement. Because in the last briefing with the president on the PKTT he was satisfied with its performance,” said Masemola.
Masemola said he was taken aback by Mchunu’s statement that Ramaphosa agrees that the PKTT be dissolved. Because during his February 1 2025 meeting with Ramaphosa, he told Ramaphosa about Mchunu’s decision to disband the PKTT.
“The president was taken aback by the minister’s decision to disband the PKTT, seeing that there were no reasons given to disband it. He was taken aback and said he will speak to the minister,” said Masemola.
Masemola, who is the commission’s second witness, started with his testimony on Monday.
He is currently testifying at the commission.
Yesterday, Masemola said a “concerned party” came to see him and told him that attempted murder-accused and Gauteng tenderpreneur Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala might be involved in the kidnapping of businessman Jerry Boshoga. Boshoga was kidnapped in November 2024.
Jerry Boshoga kidnapping
“The concerned party said that General Sibiya cannot investigate Boshoga’s kidnapping because he is a close friend of Matlala and they work together. The concerned person said Matlala is one of my deputies due to his closeness with Sibiya. And I am just not aware of it,” said Masemola.
“I assigned the national head of crime intelligence Lt-Gen Dumisani Khumalo to investigate Boshoga’s kidnapping.”
Masemola said after police investigations into Boshoga’s kidnapping, Matlala became a person of interest.
He said on December 6 2024 a search and seizure operation was conducted at Matlala’s house. This was conducted by members of the Gauteng organised crime unit.
Masemola said the police went to search for Boshoga at Matlala’s place. Boshoga was not found.
He told the commission that on January 16 2025, he and Khumalo informed Mchunu on information they received that Sibiya is involved and associated with criminal syndicates. Mchunu is currently on special leave.
Masemola is yet to elaborate whether the information on Sibiya being involved and associated with criminal syndicates is based on allegations or facts.
