Acting Deputy National Commissioner for Crime Detection and Divisional Commissioner for Detective and Forensic Services Lieutenant-General Hilda Khosi Senthumule testifying before the Ad Hoc Committee probing allegations made by KwaZulu-Natal Commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi.
Image: Armand Hough / Independent Newspapers
Lieutenant-General Hilda Senthumule, the divisional commissioner for Crime Detection first learned of the disbandment of the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT) nearly a month after it was ordered by suspended Police Minister Senzo Mchunu.
Testifying on Tuesday, Senthumule stated that she received a letter dated February 4, 2025, from suspended Deputy National Commissioner Shadrack Sibiya, informing her of the disbandment, which was initially communicated through a letter issued on December 31, 2024.
“I never saw the 31 December letter at that time. I only saw reference made in the letter General Sibiya wrote to me,” she explained, adding that she had been on leave from January 3 to January 17.
Earlier in her testimony, she said Crime Intelligence head Dumisani Khumalo had informally mentioned that Sibiya had instructed him to transfer the PKTT dockets to her.
She had indicated to Khumalo that he was the one given the instruction, not her.
“We laughed about it and I said I can’t take it further.”
When EFF leader Julius Malema asked her why she did not pay attention on a matter that was a big issue during her leave.
“When I was on leave, I was not in touch with the things in the office.”
She said when Sibiya enquired about the transfer of the dockets, she informed him that Khumalo told her that Sibiya had instructed him to transfer the PKTT dockets to her.
“I informed him there was nothing in writing for me I could actually use as a point of reference to engage Khumalo in relation to the movement of the PKTT dockets,” she said.
Sibiya’s letter had given her seven days to ensure the investigation of the cases was taken care of following the disbandment of the task team, and that she submit a report within seven days.
She and Khumalo were unable to meet because she had a bereavement, while the Crime Intelligence head had other engagements.
“The only time we were able to meet was towards the end of February,” said Senthumule.
However, they developed an implementation, which was subsequently presented at a meeting attended by Mchunu and top brass of the SAPS.
There was a total of 125 dockets that included political killing cases, traditional leaders’ matters, University of Fort Hare, and one ad hoc matter, as well as 10 dockets that were sent to the National Prosecuting Authority for a decision.
Senthumule said she and Khumalo had felt that the rightful place to investigate the cases was KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape serious and violence units, as the head office has no investigative capacity to investigate other than intervene and monitor.
She said Khumalo had, in his presentation, said that the disbandment would take the winding down approach “because it was not possible to disband immediately”.
A meeting held on March 6, 2025, to receive a progress report heard that there were 125 dockets and additional 10 to be transferred to KwaZulu-Natal and Eastern Cape.
The new political killings cases were to be referred to the murder and robbery unit.
The 114 dockets were to remain with the PKTT until they were finalised.
Senthumule said Sibiya, Mchunu, and his chief of staff Cedrick Nkabinde were not happy that the PKTT was still to keep dockets because that would have meant that it was not disbanded.
“But eventually, the implementation plan was provisionally approved. The meeting agreed that 114 dockets remain with PKTT; however, as at when each case is concluded, the dedicated detective holding the docket and combat member assigned for his protection will withdraw from the team and return to their stations of origin.”
Senthumule said she had felt the meeting had given her permission to start the process of the handover of the dockets.
She said during March 2025, Sibiya made numerous enquiries and reminders on the handover process.
“The Deputy National Commissioner (DNC) was adamant that General Khumalo was not pulling his weight. I must say that at that time, they were not on talking terms. I was the buffer between the two of them. So DNC will come and say, 'you want to be like General Khumalo and drag feet in implementing the instruction and then see me as not cooperating in implementing the instruction'.”
Senthumule said a follow-up meeting later that month prematurely adjourned after Khumalo explained that four additional dockets were successfully enrolled, bringing the number of dockets to 121.
“The minister was worried no handover process took place,” she said.
“That process at that time had not taken place. The minister was displeased with both of us,” added Senthumule.
She explained that the reason for the delay was due to both running their own divisions.
“We were not only seized with the matter of PKTT. There were other obligations. We had to find time. All of us had to be realistic that this is not only the matter on the table. There were other critical and strategic matters we were dealing with,” she said, adding that a meeting was scheduled for March 28.
Cape Times