South African Minister of Police Senzo Mchunu concluded his appearance before the Ad Hoc Committee to Investigate allegations made by the South African Police Service’s (SAPS) KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, confirming that he disbanded the Political Killings Task Team.
The minister defended the decision to disband the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT) in KwaZulu-Natal before the committee. The committee probes a number of allegations and the naming of prominent people, including incarcerated Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala who was awarded tenders. Matlala comes into the fray based on the allegations that he was notified that the PKTT was to be disbanded, and its dockets be sent to Deputy National Police Commissioner Shadrack Sibiya.
But Mchunu said he had President Cyril Ramaphosa’s approval to disband the unit following his debriefing. The minister said he got the president’s approval after he presented his intentions to have the team disbanded. Mchunu said he briefed the president out of the pre-emption of rising political tensions related to the task team. He said his action at the time was to prevent calls for a commission of inquiry.
Minister Mchunu also disputed ever responding to controversial North-West province’s Brown Mogotsi’s WhatsApp messages which were read out to him and projected before the committee under Evidence Leader Advocate Norman Arendse (SC).
In one of the messages, Mogostsi seemed to have been updating Mchunu about a development.
“Tomorrow we are signing the practice notes on the Northwest PEC matter for the SCA in PTA with senior council. The matter will be a month from tomorrow,” the message partly reads as read by Advocate Arendse to Mchunu.
Mchunu did not dispute knowing Mogotsi but said he only knew him as a comrade and that the insinuation that he might have previously lied before the Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Police in March was false but that he strongly objected to him and Mogotsi being associates. He also said he did not respond to the messages that were from Mogotsi as readout before the committee.
“He [General Mkhwanazi] says a minister Mchunu said he does know Brown Mogotsi in parliament which I never said,” Mchunu said of General Mkhwanazi’s statement made on July 6.
Mchunu said Mkhwanazi played to the public gallery and made allegations ‘that to fit his narrative.’
“I never said that, but he tells the public something twisted saying I said in parliament I don’t know Mogontsi. When I actually said I didn’t know the person who was on the phone was, not Mogotsi, and that was not Mogotsi.
“I said, “He is not my associate.” Somewhere, I think it was here in the portfolio committee or not, in the other committee or in the Madlanga Commission… Once you say associate, I would think of some partnership, some work relations,” Mchunu said.
Minister Mchunu said he has known Mogotsi since 2017. He also said he does not have a personal relationship with him.
Mchunu said he also complied with a Parliament resolution to reply to the ethics committee and code of conduct with an affidavit meeting the stipulated deadline, however, he has not yet been called to appear again based on it.
Minister Mchunu said his appearance before the adhoc committee to clarify himself was the first time since Mkhwanazi went public.
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