President Cyril Ramaphosa agreed to the controversial disbandment of the political killings task team. This is according to police minister placed on special leave Senzo Mchunu.
Mchunu told parliament’s Ad Hoc Committee investigating the allegations made by KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi that he had a short briefing with Ramaphosa telling him about the disbandment of the political killings task team.
Chief evidence leader Norman Arendse SC argued that the briefing sounded like Mchunu only presented his decision but did not allow Ramaphosa to officially agree or disagree with the directive to disband the team.
Short briefing with president
However, Mchunu insisted that Ramaphosa agreed. He added that there are different types of briefings, and also emphasised that this briefing was around January and February.
“It was a short briefing with the president, it was a briefing. It wasn’t a discussion to say I, at some point, took this decision last year December. And all I remember is that I did say there are matters that I have developed.
“And I said to him these matters, among others, have led me to disband the political killings task team. Also that possibly, at some point, if I didn’t do this there may have been a call for a commission on these matters.
“So, I decided that I would pre-empt any need for such a call at some point. And I did this. And that was one of the things that I mentioned during the short briefing,” Mchunu told the committee.
Mchunu also presented an audio recording between Mkhwanazi and his chief of staff Cedrick Nkabinde. The latter was claiming that Mkhwanazi had made threats against him.
No alleged threat in the recording
However, he claimed that the recording did not present the part he wanted. But it was seemingly another conversation.
“It may be that part of the conversation between the two was not the one when he started recording. But it did. They did talk with the chief of staff,” said Mchunu.
“It may have been said before they started recording but they did discuss it, they did tell me that,” he said.
EFF leader Julius Malema said the threatening part of the audio should be played on Tuesday. And the legal team should assist it cutting that part so it may be played in parliament.
