Tensions rise as Fannie Masemola reveals details of how Political Killings Task Team was disbanded
National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola took the stand at the Madlanga Judicial Commission of Inquiry to testify on the disbandment of the Political Killings Task Team .
Image: Itumeleng English/Independent Newspapers
As the clock ticks closer to the proceedings at the Madlanga Judicial Commission of Inquiry in Pretoria on Tuesday morning, National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola takes the stand, dressed in a sharp black suit, pink shirt, and sleek black tie.
With voluminous files before him, Masemola dives into his testimony, revealing a complex web of allegations and counter-allegations surrounding the disbandment of the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT).
Masemola recounted a tense meeting on March 27, 2025, where Minister Senzo Mchunu was allegedly furious after learning that the task team had made a breakthrough in the murder case of Phendukani Mabhida, a slain KwaZulu-Natal ANC councillor.
Mabhida was gunned down in February this year after being outspoken about corruption and mismanagement within the Mandeni Local Municipality.
Masemola said Mchunu's anger stemmed from the task team's increasing workload despite his orders to disband it.
According to him, Mchunu had expected the team's workload to decrease after the disbandment order, but instead, it continued to grow, especially after ordering its disbandment in a letter dated December 31, 2024.
According to Masemola, the two individuals were arrested by local Public Order Police (POP) in connection with Mabhida’s murder and while in possession of a firearm.
The POP collaborated with the task team in the investigation, and subsequently, the task team successfully linked a firearm and a suspect to the murder through ballistic evidence.
“The minister was quite angry about that. It was quite strange. It was the first (time) in my career to see a minister angry that the police have done a good job,” he said.
He explained that the minister was angry that the task team took over the docket despite that they were not the ones who made arrests of suspects
“Yes, we agree with him that they (task team) didn't make the arrest. That was done by the local POP, but the PKTT was able to do further investigation and they linked the suspect to the murder of this councillor. That made him angry and the meeting ended abruptly,” he said
The March 27 meeting was a follow-up to one held in Cape Town on March 6, 2025 to discuss a disbandment plan.
Masemola also expressed concerns about Mchunu's conduct during a March 6 meeting, saying the minister's reasoning for disbanding the task team was unclear.
He accused Mchunu of downplaying the relevance of the task team, suggesting that political killings were predominantly a pre-1994 issue.
“That statement is not accurate. The political killings have been taking place pre-1994 even after 1994,” he said.
Masemola emphasised the importance of having a dedicated team to tackle political killings, warning that disbanding the task team would severely impact ongoing investigations.
He suggested a phased approach to disbanding the team, allowing them to gradually wind down their operations.
However, suspended Deputy Police Commissioner Shadrack Sibiya and Mchunu's chief of staff, Cedrick Nkabinde, strongly opposed Khumalo's presentation, pushing for the immediate disbandment of the task team.
According to Masemola's testimony, Sibiya and Nkabinde insisted that the team's dockets be sent back to their respective police stations of origin.
In a lighter moment, Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga and Advocate Terry Motau SC, evidence leader, shared a lighthearted exchange about mistaken identities, bringing laughter to the proceedings.
Madlanga commissioners talked about how a certain name fit into the case, prompting Motau to joke about being called "Mr Motsepe" by one of the commissioners.
Madlanga's response of "a totally different name," brought laughter.
This followed a previous instance where Advocate Mahlape Sello SC referred to KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi as "Mr Mogotsi," coincidentally sharing a name with the implicated North West-based businessman Brown Mogotsi.
Mkhwanazi had accused Mogotsi of influencing police investigations and having underworld ties.
Masemola shed light on the motive behind sending 121 political killings dockets from KwaZulu-Natal to Gauteng, revealing that understanding the reason for this transfer also exposed the motive for disbanding the task team.
According to Masemola's testimony, information obtained from businessman Vusimuzi "Cat" Matlala, who is facing attempted murder charges, revealed that the disbandment of the PKTT was linked to the operation on December 6, 2024.
He said the retrieved communication suggested plans to dissolve the task team.
Last week, Mkhwanazi testified that Major-General Julius Mkhwanazi, the Deputy Chief of Police at Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department, helped Matlala to register his vehicles under the municipality and fit them with blue lights raising eyebrows.
Despite the controversy, Masemola asserted that the task team remains an integral part of the force, with a budget allocated for its continued operation.
He credited the task team's work with the arrest of a suspect in the murder of former ANC youth league secretary Sindiso Magaqa, underscoring the team's importance in tackling complex cases.