Top cop mum on political killings dockets

Staff Reporters

POLICE Commissioner Fannie Masemola refused to be drawn into allegations that ten crucial dockets linked to political killings were being kept at SAPS headquarters in Pretoria as part of alleged interference with the work of the political killings unit.

He was responding to questions from the media following allegations by KwaZulu Natal Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi that Police Minister Senzo Mchunu, in cahoots with Deputy National Commissioner for Crime Detection, Lieutenant General Shadrack Sibiya, disbanded the political killings unit and retrieved the case dockets for them to be locked up under lock and key, in the Pretoria offices of Sibiya.

Mkhwanazi said some of the dockets had uncovered a crime syndicate involving underworld figures, politicians, prosecutors, judges and senior police. He said the forced closure of the political task team unit, allegedly engineered by Mchunu and not by the Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola, has sparked the rising tensions.

Both Mchunu and Sibiya have publicly denied the allegations. Until Wednesday, Masemola had not spoken out since Mkhwanazi made the allegations that the police minister was also linked to a criminal syndicate in Gauteng.

Responding to a Cape Times question about the dockets, Masemola said: “We’d rather leave that space to…allow the president to intervene. These will be matters that are subject to investigation. It would not assist the nation that General Mkhwanazi says something…General Sibiya says something and I say something. Let’s leave that for investigation.”

Masemola said the recent revelations of divisions and other serious allegations within the SAPS ranks have struck at the heart of the South African Police Service and, indeed, the heart of the nation's trust.

“Let me be unequivocal, the current state of affairs is unprecedented, concerning, unfortunate and requires uncompromised intervention, to restore public trust and stability in the organisation.

“We acknowledge and fully welcome the commitment made by his excellency, President Cyril Ramaphosa, to elevate and prioritise this matter on his return from international travel.”

He said the SAPS is not factional property.

“It is the guardian of every South African's safety and security. Our focus, our unity, and our unwavering commitment must be singular; it is to serve and protect the citizens of this country.”

Masemola also confirmed that Mkhwanazi’s security has been beefed up.

While President Cyril Ramaphosa has yet to outline how he would handle the allegations, National Assembly Speaker Thoko Didiza has directed the Portfolio Committee on Police, the Portfolio Committee on Justice and Constitutional Development, and the Joint Standing Committee on Intelligence to investigate Mkhwanazi’s claims. However, Didiza declined requests from the DA and other parties for a debate on the matter, stating it would be inappropriate given that the allegations are currently unsubstantiated.

African Transformation Movement's (ATM) parliamentary leader Vuyo Zungula lodged a complaint with the public protector against Mchunu over the allegations.

In a letter to the public protector's office, Zungula characterised the situation as a blatant instance of executive misconduct, political interference and abuse of power.

"These revelations indicate nothing less than the direct capture of police power for private and political protection," Zungula stated.

"This is not merely a policy or operational concern; it is an ethical and legal emergency. If such interference is allowed to continue without consequences, public faith in the rule of law and the legitimacy of our democratic institutions will be destroyed."

Zungula maintained that the allegations were not speculative, but "are backed by digital communication records, WhatsApp messages, voice recordings, financial documentation, intercepted data, and operational reports.

KZN Premier Thami Ntuli has publicly expressed support for Mkhwanazi, urging Ramaphosa to act without delay.

Cape Times