Suspended Police Minister Senzo Mchunu defends disbanding Political Killings Task Team before the parliamentary inquiry looking at political interference in the police.
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Suspended Police Minister Senzo Mchunu has defended his decision to disband the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT), explaining that it was replaced by the newly formed Operations Response Services (ORS) division to address the wider crime epidemic plaguing South Africa, particularly in high-violence areas such as the Cape Flats.
Presenting his case on Thursday before Parliament’s Ad Hoc Committee investigating police corruption, Mchunu argued the move was not about shutting down efforts to tackle politically motivated killings but rather about shifting police focus toward the country’s broader and escalating violent crime challenges.
“The ORS was created not to focus on one section of corruption or crime,” Mchunu told the Committee.
“It was about creating a broader mechanism that includes violent crimes that are widespread—especially in communities like the Cape Flats, where gun violence, gang activity, and drug proliferation have reached critical levels.”
According to Mchunu, the PKTT was narrowly mandated and insufficient to address the scale of security threats confronting the majority of South Africans.
In contrast, the ORS consolidates multiple units into one command, enhancing rapid deployment capabilities to violent crime hotspots nationwide.
“The reality is that criminals are getting more organised and dangerous daily,” Mchunu said.
“You cannot have a police presence without the operational capacity to respond effectively. The ORS fills that gap. It is equipped to confront crimes that affect ordinary South Africans daily—not just political killings.”
Mchunu’s testimony comes amid serious allegations from KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, who accused him of disbanding the PKTT to protect criminal syndicates.
“I lose sleep because hundreds of people are killed every month, and the state cannot afford to focus only on a small subset of crime while millions remain vulnerable,” Mchunu added.
Mchunu and national deputy police Commissioner General Shadrack Sibiya are accused of being part of an alleged criminal cartel interfering with the work of the police.
Sibiya testified before the parliamentary committee this week, denying the allegations against him and alleging that he was being targeted.
thabo.makwakwa@inl.co.za
IOL Politics
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