Mchunu defends PKTT directive, says within the law
Police Minister Senzo Mchunu has told Parliament that his decision to review the political killings task team was lawful and necessary.
He insists that he acted in line with the priorities of the administration and not due to any form of political or criminal influence.
The minister, who is currently on special leave, appeared before Parliament’s Ad Hoc Committee investigating allegations of political interference in the police service on Friday.
He denied that his directive to dissolve the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT) was irregular or personally motivated, saying his decisions were guided by governance imperatives and constitutional principles.
“I didn’t breach any law,” Mchunu said.
“I didn’t convene a meeting with General Masemola, General Mkhwanazi, or General Kumalo, and that doesn’t constitute an offence in the department or anywhere in the state.
“Don’t impose a feeling of guilt just because I didn’t have a meeting with them. It doesn’t work like that.”
He said he viewed his role as minister as one of reform and improvement, rather than preservation of structures established before his appointment.
“I’m answering to the imperatives of the seventh administration,” Mchunu explained, referring to the government formed after the recent general elections.
“I’m not here to justify what I found; I’m here to change and make things better. The priorities of this administration are different, and I have to act accordingly.”
The minister argued that the political killings task team, which was initially formed under the Sixth Administration, no longer had a basis under the new government structure.
“It doesn’t exist in the seventh administration, that’s a fact,” he said.
“You don’t run a department like that. You don’t say just because you have your colleagues, you’ll convene a meeting to discuss aspects of your department. You discuss in the cabinet, in committees,that’s how the government functions.”
Mchunu defended the letter he wrote on December 31, 2024, which directed a review of the task team, saying it was driven by concerns about budget compliance and the need for a rational structure within the police.
“I stand by my letter. It was legitimate and proper that I raised the matter,” he said.
“By then, I had begun to feel that we might even be breaching the PFMA, and I wanted to ensure that when that time comes, I can say I didn’t just keep quiet.”
He clarified that his consultations were not about the disbandment itself but about the broader need for a review,discussions he claims took place across several meetings with SAPS leadership.
“I consulted not on the disbandment, but on the need to review,” Mchunu told MPs.
“There were matters that precipitated the writing of that letter. Even though I decided on the 31st to do so, there were issues that couldn’t allow me to consult at that time because of the risks involved.”
Mchunu dismissed claims that he acted unilaterally, saying he had engaged extensively with senior police officials.
“Before I went on leave, I had more than 28 meetings with the SAPS leadership and more than nine with the national commissioner alone,” he said.
“Throughout those meetings, we discussed serious matters, including intelligence and structural issues. What I didn’t discuss was the directive itself,but the issues behind it were well known to the people you’re mentioning.”
The minister also defended his view that the existence of the political killings task team had become redundant and irrational given the broader reforms he was implementing.
“You can’t have a structure that’s meant to replace the political killings task team and still keep the old one,” Mchunu said.
“It would be irrational. You can’t keep a team that deals with a limited category of people when the majority of South Africans are being killed without similar specialisation. Our resources must be spread equally to protect all citizens.”
Committee members, however, pressed him on why the generals leading the task team were not directly consulted before he issued the directive.
They questioned whether the decision to bypass them and issue the letter unilaterally undermined transparency within the police service.
Mchunu maintained that while formal consultation did not occur before issuing the directive, all relevant operational issues had been discussed in various forums.
“I didn’t discuss directives with anyone before writing them,” he said. “But the substance behind each directive, the work that led to it had been discussed many times.”
ALSO READ