Police Minister Senzo Mchunu, who is on special leave of absence, has insisted he was never told about the Political Killings Task Team’s (PKTT) raid on the home of alleged drug cartel member and attempted murder-accused Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala in December last year.
Mchunu appeared before the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Criminality, Political Interference, and Corruption in the Criminal Justice System on Tuesday.
Never briefed about the said raid
“At no stage during my orientation or briefings was I informed of any operation resembling the event described. I’m jumping now to December 2024. At no stage was I briefed about that. No briefing was given to me about any arrest, operations, or technical deployment involving NPKTT during December.
“My initial period in the portfolio focused much more on organisational structures, focused on governance. I must add, and systemic issues as well,” said Mchunu.
The raid at Matlala’s house was on December 6, 2024. The team was searching for missing Centurion farmer Jerry Boshoga, who disappeared in November that year. Police believed Matlala might have information that could help trace the farmer, who has still not been found.
The commission has heard from Witness C that about the white sheet used in one of the ransom videos. It was found manually hung at Matlala’s home, in a room used by a general worker, said the witness.
Suspects were told of disbandment
Mchunu’s denial comes as he faces allegations that he attempted to disband the PKTT to shield criminal networks he is accused of being linked to. He issued the letter of directives to disband the team on New Year’s Eve last year.
Controversy deepened when this letter was forwarded by information peddler Brown Mogotsi to Matlala. In the WhatsApp messages shared with the committee, Mogotsi informed Matlala that the team that had raided his house was no more.
These messages were extracted from Matlala’s phone during the search and seizure operation. Both Mogotsi and Matlala have denied sharing some of the messages.
Last week, Matlala told the Parliamentary Ad Hoc committee that some of the WhatsApp messages attributed to him were not genuine. He claimed his phone was used after his arrest in May. And he suggested that someone might have accessed it to create misleading conversations.
The decision to disband the team caused a big dispute in late 2024 and 2025. It led to a parliamentary Ad Hoc committee inquiry and the Madlanga Commission. These are both looking into claims of police corruption and interference after KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi raised the red flags.
PKTT was no permanent structure
He (Mchunu) explained that a 2019 work study recommended the disestablishment of the PKTT in favour of incorporating its functions into what would be referred to as a murder and robbery unit.
He also emphasised that PKTT was not supposed to be a long-standing team, considering budget issues. And he added that it had no specific budget from the beginning.
Mchunu said even the SAPS National Commissioner Fannie Masemola informed him and his two deputy ministers that the PKTT was not a formal unit. He said it was an interim task team.
He said the PKTT was established due to political intervention out of concern for rising numbers in political killings. Not through the constitutional power carried by the national commissioner. As such, he believes it is politically time-bound.
