LIVE | Mchunu unpacks reasons for Political Killings Task Team disbandment

Suspended Police Minister Senzo Mchunu returned to the Madlanga Commission on Friday facing scrutiny after his blunt admission that he disbanded the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT) without consulting senior police leadership.

Testifying on Thursday, Mchunu conceded there had been “no meeting, no briefing, and no formal engagement” before he instructed the national police management to dissolve the team.

The disbanded team was established to investigate a rising wave of politically linked assassinations in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) and other hotspots.

His statement stunned the commission, prompting sharp questions about governance, oversight and the widening trust deficit between the executive and the SAPS command structure.

Returning to the stand, Mchunu attempted to clarify his decision-making, insisting the directive was driven by concerns over “duplication, inefficiency and poor coordination” within specialised investigative teams.

He maintained that the PKTT’s responsibilities were meant to be absorbed into broader policing structures, though he acknowledged communication around the decision had been “inadequate and regrettable.”

Commission chair Justice Mandisa Madlanga pressed Mchunu on whether the abrupt shutdown compromised active investigations or emboldened criminal networks.

Mchunu argued that SAPS remained capable of pursuing politically motivated killings, but the commission signalled it would seek concrete evidence to support that claim as hearings continue.

kamogelo.moichela@iol.co.za

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