WATCH | Acting deputy national commissioner on PKTT disbandment | Madlanga Commission

The Madlanga Commission resumed on Friday with Acting Deputy National Commissioner for Crime Detection, Lt-Gen. Khosi Senthumule, testifying. 

Senthumule is currently talking about the disbandment of the SAPS Political Killings Task Team (PKTT).

The PKTT, established to investigate politically motivated murders, was disbanded on December 31 by suspended Police Minister Senzo Mchunu, who cited “structural inefficiencies and resource constraints” as the reason.

Critics, however, have suggested that political interference and internal police tensions played a significant role in the decision, raising concerns over accountability in high-profile political killing investigations.

Senthumule will be questioned by Evidence Leader Adv. Thabang Pooe on the circumstances surrounding the unit’s closure and its impact on ongoing investigations.

The commission has already heard that the PKTT faced chronic underfunding, staffing shortages, and allegations of deliberate obstruction, factors that some witnesses say crippled its effectiveness.

KZN Police Commission, Lt-Gen. Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi has made public allegations implicating Mchunu in decisions that undermined the unit’s independence, including claims that political considerations influenced investigative priorities and resource allocations.

Mkhwanazi’s testimony has intensified scrutiny on Mchunu, who remains suspended amid separate corruption and misconduct allegations.

The commission is trying pinpoint to whether the disbandment of the PKTT represented administrative necessity or a politically motivated move that allowed politically sensitive cases to languish.

kamogelo.moichela@iol.co.za

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