Suspended Police Minister Senzo Mchunu has defended the South African Police Service’s (SAPS) practice of dissolving specialised task teams once their mandates are completed, describing it as a standard operational procedure.
Testifying before Parliament’s Ad Hoc Committee investigating corruption within SAPS, Mchunu explained that such teams are created for specific objectives within defined timeframes and budgets. He said the disbandment of the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT) followed the same principle and was not influenced by external factors.
The PKTT, established to address political violence in KwaZulu-Natal, had initially been given a six-month operational period, later extended beyond 2022. However, its mandate was not renewed thereafter. Mchunu told the committee that the decision stemmed from funding priorities and internal restructuring rather than interference or corruption.
He noted that a new specialised police unit had since taken over the PKTT’s responsibilities, making the continuation of the original task team unnecessary.
The inquiry follows allegations made by KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, who claimed that criminal syndicates had infiltrated SAPS and that Mchunu had disbanded the PKTT to shield those networks.
The committee is currently holding a three-day hearing to examine the allegations, with Mchunu’s testimony forming a key part of the investigation into the deepening crisis within the police service.
Mchunu maintained that the creation and dissolution of task teams should be understood as operational decisions driven by practical and financial considerations rather than suspicion or speculation.
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