Police Inquiry: SAPS CFO denies Mchunu's testimony on PKTT disbandment briefing
SAPS' Chief Financial Officer, Lieutenant-General Puleng Dimpane Refutes Claims of PKTT Financial Discussions with Mchunu
Image: Phando Jikelo / RSA Parliament
Lieutenant General Puleng Dimpane, SAPS Chief Financial Officer, refuted allegations that suspended Police Minister Senzo Mchunu engaged her on financial issues related to the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT) during an Ad Hoc Committee hearing probing corruption and police infiltration by criminal syndicates.
The committee was established in October to investigate claims that provincial top brass and senior police officials manipulated operations while protecting politically connected criminals.
The fate and funding of the PKTT - a special unit created to investigate political assassinations - has been a central focus.
Mchunu testified before the committee in October, citing Dimpane’s information note as one of the reasons for his decision to disband the PKTT.
Dimpane explained that although she made five detailed budget presentations to Minister Mchunu after his appointment, none included any discussion of the PKTT.
"From July 2024 to June 2025, I provided briefings on SAPS’ overall budget framework, financial statements, crime intelligence funding, and resource distribution between provinces and head office. But I can confirm that the PKTT was not mentioned in any of these meetings," she said.
She also dismissed claims that Mchunu relied on a financial briefing note she had authored concerning the PKTT as false and taken out of context.
"I never gave Minister Mchunu any document related to PKTT or authorised anyone to share such notes with him. That note was operational and remains internal,” Dimpane emphasised.
The CFO described the challenges SAPS faces in budgeting for the PKTT. Initially established as a temporary unit to address political killings in KwaZulu-Natal, the team’s mandate has expanded considerably, but it remains funded on a short-term, quarterly basis.
"This situation creates budgeting uncertainty - we receive applications every few months for funds that stretch over five years. I have advocated that the PKTT be made a permanent entity so that resources can be allocated efficiently with clear accountability mechanisms," she told the committee.
Asked about her interactions with Minister Mchunu, Dimpane said she had no direct discussions with him on PKTT finances. Moreover, she first learned of the unit’s disbandment through media reports while on leave.
"The minister never raised any financial concerns or discussed the PKTT with me directly," she said.
Dimpane’s clarifications contribute essential context as the committee examines internal communications and budgetary processes relating to SAPS task teams implicated in controversial allegations.
As SAPS grapples with operational demands and political interference, the call to establish permanent, well-funded structures like the PKTT grows louder to ensure stability and accountability in the fight against political violence.
These testimonies form a critical part of the Ad Hoc Committee’s ongoing efforts to root out corruption and restore public trust in South Africa’s police service.
thabo.makwakwa@inl.co.za
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