Day 10 WRAP: Five key highlights from Senzo Mchunu’s police corruption committee testimony
Five Key Moments from Suspended Police Minister Senzo Mchunu's PKTT Disbandment Hearing
Image: Independent Newspapers
On Wednesday, suspended Police Minister Senzo Mchunu appeared before the Ad Hoc Committee investigating police corruption and his decision to disband the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT).
Mchunu, placed on special leave, appeared before the Ad Hoc Committee probing claims of alleged interference in the justice system.
The committee, chaired by ANC MP Soviet Lekganyane, was set up to investigate allegations made by KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi.
Throughout the hearing, Mchunu defended his controversial move, responding to many probing questions from MPs. Here are five standout moments from his testimony:
PKTT’s Financial Burden on the Fiscus
When Patriotic Alliance MP Ashley Sauls asked Mchunu about the value of the PKTT, Mchunu justified the disbandment by citing increasing financial costs.
“I would maintain the response that more and more, as you do calculations and so on, it has become a costly exercise which is excessive if you look at your needs countrywide. It gets more and more criticism. It’s impossible to avoid that criticism,” he said.
He also suggested to Democratic Alliance MP Ian Cameron that the Auditor-General conduct an immediate full-scale audit of SAPS National Task Teams' finances, responding to MP Dereleen James' queries.
On Recording Conversations with Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi
When a committee member, uMkhonto weSizwe Party Thulani Shongwe, asked if he instructed his chief of staff to record talks with the KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner, Mkhwanazi, Mchunu admitted he merely suggested it but confirmed no recordings existed.
“What’s unlawful is when two people in a conversation are chatting and someone comes and records them,” he explained. “It is not wrong to record a conversation with a person you’re in a conversation with.”
This prompted a sharp response from Shongwe: “If it were up to me, a police vehicle would be waiting outside the Parliament chambers to arrest Minister Mchunu for being dishonest.”
On the Meaning of “Immediately” in the Directive to Disband PKTT
Mchunu redefined the urgency behind his December 31, 2024, directive to disband the PKTT, explaining that “immediately” did not mean instantaneous action.
“When I said immediately, I meant that on the day the offices opened, the instruction would be implemented,” he said. “It doesn’t mean ‘now’ like starting a car. I meant that this would happen in phases.”
No Formal Handover from Predecessor Bheki Cele
Responding to ANC MP Khusela Diko, Mchunu disclosed he never received any handover from former Police Minister Bheki Cele regarding the PKTT.
“What was there was a reference to committees the minister was serving on, not necessarily the PKTT in any form,” Mchunu stated.
Pressed on whether Cele had commented on why he never dissolved the unit, Mchunu said, “We didn’t delve into that matter.”
Connections, Denials, and Presidential Oversight
Under intense questioning, Mchunu admitted to having ties with North West businessman Brown Mogotsi but vehemently denied links to crime syndicates or associations with murder suspect Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala.
He also maintained that national police commissioner Fannie Masemola was aware of his directive to disband the KwaZulu-Natal task team.
Regarding the contentious removal of 121 case dockets — carried out by suspended deputy commissioner Shadrack Sibiya after disbanding the PKTT — Mchunu denied issuing any related directive.
When asked by the Committee chair if he would have reversed his decision had President Ramaphosa disagreed after being informed two months later, Mchunu responded without hesitation, “Definitely.”
On July 6, Mkhwanazi held a press briefing, making various allegations, including that Minister Mchunu colluded with criminal networks to undermine investigations.
Meanwhile, Sauls publicly backed Mchunu’s decision, describing the minister’s move as “bold” and urging him to remain steadfast despite public criticism.
The hearings will continue, and former Police Minister Bheki Cele will testify on Thursday.
Cele, the former minister under whom the PKTT was established in 2018, is expected to testify further about the team’s origins and operations.
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