ActionSA MP Dereleen James has criticised national police commissioner Gen Fannie Masemola for failing to stand up to police minister Senzo Mchunu after he instructed the disbandment of the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT).
On December 31, Mchunu sent Masemola a letter directing him to dissolve the task team, stating that its services were no longer required and that it added no value in combating crime. However, Maj-Gen Petronella van Rooyen from the SAPS legal division said the minister did not have the legal authority to issue such an instruction.
During a heated exchange before parliament’s ad hoc committee investigating corruption allegations in the criminal justice system, James questioned why Masemola did not oppose the directive.
“Why didn’t you tell the minister directly that his instruction was unlawful?” she asked.
Masemola responded that he had made several attempts to engage Mchunu but was unable to reach him. He insisted he was against the disbandment.
“Quite a number of times I asked the minister why he was closing the team, and he gave no reasons,” Masemola said. “The directive was not a request; it was a clear instruction. I tried to find out the reasons, but I couldn’t get answers. I did everything I could. I engaged him several times, and he shut the door.”
He added that he initiated a “wind-down” approach to probe the reasons for the disbandment, as the directive seemed “suspicious.”
“I did the best I could alone. If I’m to be blamed, that’s OK, but I did my best. As we speak today, the team is still in existence,” he stated.
James, however, was not convinced.
“Anyone holding the position of national commissioner should be beyond reproach. Your response does not reflect that because you’re speaking about winding down. That is not beyond reproach. Why winding down? Is that not ultimately giving in to the minister? That is allowing political interference in operational matters,” she said.
“The minister made the wrong decision; you should have stood up to it, and you didn’t. That’s a problem for South Africa.”
During the Madlanga commission of inquiry, crime intelligence boss Lt-Gen Dumisani Khumalo revealed WhatsApp messages allegedly showing drug cartel involvement in funding ANC events through payments from Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala to Brown Mogotsi.
James expressed concern that some law enforcement officials were enabling political interference and protecting those tied to criminal activities.
“The ANC minister wanted to stop investigations into the drug cartels that have captured our country. We need to identify where the rot comes from and who the enablers are. You didn’t protect South Africans; you exposed us to drug cartels,” she said.
