KZN NPA head tells Madlanga Commission she would have 'strongly motivated against' the unit's dissolution

All witnesses who have testified before the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry this week have agreed that Police Minister Senzo Mchunu’s instruction to disband the KwaZulu-Natal Political Killings Task Team was misguided.

KwaZulu-Natal NPA Head Elaine Harrison also echoed these sentiments during her testimony at the commission in Pretoria today. She says the unit was making progress in finalising politically motivated cases before Mchunu decided to dissolve it.

The legality of Mchunu’s instruction to disband the Political Killings Task Team continues to be under scrutiny. The commission has so far heard claims that Mchunu directly interfered with the duties of the National Police Commissioner, while others allege he acted to protect the interests of criminal syndicates by dissolving the unit.

On Friday,Harrison also questioned the rationale behind Mchunu’s instruction to disband the task team, stating: "After everything is said and done and everything that went into providing the coordinated approach, I would have strongly motivated against the disestablishment."

In a letter, Mchunu stated that he sought to disband the unit because he believed it added no value to policing. 
However, the instruction to dissolve the task team was never implemented. It remains the commission’s responsibility to determine whether Mchunu acted unlawfully.