South African Police Service (SAPS) national commissioner General Fannie Masemola has announced the return of the political killings task team.
This comes after Police Minister Senzo Mchunu ordered the disbanding of the task team, saying in a letter addressed to Masemola and dated December 31 that the “further existence of this team is no longer required, nor is it adding any value to policing in South Africa”.
Denies authorising team’s disbandment
Sunday World previously reported that Masemola said he did not sign anything authorising the closure of the political killings task force in KZN.
Masemola was speaking on the side-lines of the 27th Interpol African Regional Conference in Cape Town on Thursday. He said the dockets will be returned to the KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner, Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi. After this Mkhwanazi will then assign them back to the investigators.
In an explosive July 6 media briefing, Mkhwanazi alleged that the task team was disbanded by suspended Police Minister Senzo Mchunu after police investigations unmasked a syndicate that involves politicians, law enforcement (SAPS, Metro Police and Correctional Services), prosecutors, and the judiciary “controlled by drug cartels as well as business people”.
Mkhwanazi accused Mchunu of interfering in critical police investigations. His revelations also led to the suspension of Deputy National Commissioner Lieutenant-General Shadrack Sibiya.
Deputy fighting suspension
Sibiya is also fighting to be reinstated following what he believes to be an unlawful suspension. Last month, Masemola had announced that Sibiya had been placed on special leave.
However, Sibiya is now firing back as he approached the Pretoria High Court to challenge the suspension.
Masemola on Thursday said Gauteng’s own team is expected to be complete in the coming four weeks.
He explained that the task team was in the process of being closed down. As it stands, they will continue with the investigations. But they need extra investigators to help launch another team in Gauteng. He said Gauteng is flooded with political killings and taxi killings.
“We have a team investigating taxi-related killings in Eastern Cape. And that team is also going to assist the Western Cape to lead the investigation of taxi-related murders.”
While worries arise on whether the dockets may have been tampered with, Masemola said there are procedures followed to check for any irregularities.
Commission of inquiry
“We really cannot expect arrests soon from those dockets; they are quite complex. They vary from murder, attempted murder and intimidation – in their nature they are complex. So, I am not expecting any arrests soon,” said Masemola.
Masemola said this after the commission of inquiry chaired by retired Justice Mbuyiseli Mandlanga into Criminality, Political Interference, and Corruption in the Criminal Justice System had also postponed their start date.
The commission, initiated after the Mkhwanazi media briefing, was expected to commence on September 1. This was set to take place at Brigitte Mabandla Justice College in Pretoria.
Commission delay led to officials’ suspension
Following this delay, Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development Mmamoloko Kubayi suspended the department’s Director-General, Advocate Doc Mashabane, and the Deputy Director-General responsible for ICT in the department, Jabu Hlatshwayo, for their lack of due diligence in ensuring that the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry starts on time.
“We must, however, state that despite these challenges, the Madlanga commission has commenced with the preliminary work. That includes interaction with the witnesses.
“We remain committed to ensuring that the commission begins its work without further delay. And we are committed to strengthening the operational efficiency of the department to prevent similar setbacks in the future,” said Kubayi.
