DAY 9 WRAP: Five highlights from suspended police Minister Senzo Mchunu’s testimony
Suspended Police Minister Denies Criminal Links in Political Killings Task Team Probe
Image: Henk Kruger/Independent Newspapers
As the Ad Hoc Committee probing the controversial disbandment of the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT) continued its hearings, suspended Police Minister Senzo Mchunu took the stand on Day 9, offering clarifications and responding to sharp questioning from MPs.
His testimony shed light on various disputed issues surrounding his decision to disband the PKTT, sparking intense debate about political interference in police operations.
No Audio Recording of Threats from Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi
Under scrutiny, Mchunu conceded that, contrary to earlier statements, he does not have an audio recording of alleged threats from Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi.
Earlier, he claimed he ordered his chief of staff to record all conversations with Mkhwanazi because of threatening remarks after he disbanded the PKTT.
Asked by ANC MP Xola Nqola to clarify the discrepancy, Mchunu admitted the audio evidence mainly contained debates about whether he was “clean,” but not the threats themselves.
“The part I was interested in—where threatening statements were allegedly made—was actually a reference made before the start of the recording,” he explained.
Dissolution of Pre-2024 Inter-ministerial Committees
Mchunu stated that all Inter-ministerial Committees and Task Teams established before the new 2024 administration are automatically dissolved, including those dealing with political killings.
This assertion drew immediate pushback from Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) leader Julius Malema, who challenged the legality of such blanket dissolution.
Mchunu maintained, “In the 7th administration, we have no interministerial committees on political killings,” adding that he is not responsible for their non-existence.
Denial of Personal Ties to Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala
Despite producing an affidavit obtained from Matlala—an alleged criminal linked to assassination networks—Mchunu vehemently denied any personal association.
When Malema questioned why he would seek a statement from someone he had never met and was implicated in a crime, Mchunu replied, “I don’t know Matlala.
“My lawyers obtained the affidavit without direct contact as part of my defense against allegations linking me to criminal syndicates.”
He added, “I wanted clarification to address claims about my lifestyle and supposed connections with Masemola. But I have no evidence linking me to them.”
Confirmed Receipt of Text Messages from Alleged Associate Brown Mogotsi
Mchunu confirmed that he received text messages from Brown Mogotsi, an alleged associate revealed during the Madlanga Commission inquiry in September.
Messages examined by the Committee suggested connections between Mogotsi, Mchunu, and convicted attempted murder suspect Matlala.
Acknowledging receipt of the messages, Mchunu said, “I never responded because I didn’t understand what he was referring to.”
Mogotsi's message implied plans to leverage court rulings to charge senior police officials, but Mchunu distanced himself from these communications, asserting a lack of understanding and engagement.
Distancing Himself from the Removal of Case Dockets
Mchunu strongly denied involvement in the controversial removal of 121 case dockets related to political killings, stating his directive to disband the PKTT did not address docket handling.
This contradicted testimony from Deputy National Commissioner for Crime Detection Lt Gen Shadrack Sibiya, who claimed he removed the dockets to comply with Mchunu’s order.
Mchunu clarified, “There was no word, no word at all, about dockets in my directive,” emphasizing his disbandment decision was administrative—not aimed at protecting criminal networks.
Sibiya has labeled the allegations of collusion with criminal syndicates as “baseless,” framing the crisis as part of an internal police leadership power struggle following explosive claims by KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Mkhwanazi.
The Ad Hoc Committee was established amid serious allegations by Lt Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, whose July 6 testimony accused a sophisticated crime syndicate of infiltrating multiple law enforcement and intelligence institutions.
Mkhwanazi further alleged that Mchunu disbanded the PKTT to shield alleged criminals.
IOL Politics