Disbandment of political killings task team was suspicious, says Masemola

The National Police Commissioner, Fannie Masemola, has told Parliament that the disbandment of the political killings task team was suspicious and was done in a devastating manner.

Masemola revealed that he didn’t agree with the decision to disband the special crime-fighting unit, which was made through a directive from the suspended Police Minister Senzo Mchunu.

Masemola gave evidence on the first day of his testimony before Parliament’s ad hoc committee probing police corruption and interference.

He said Mchunu said the political killings task team’s formation required a political decision, and its disbandment also needed to be a political decision.

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Masemola further told the ad hoc committee that he didn’t know the reasons behind the directive to disband it.

He added that the way it was carried out was abrupt, and Mchunu wouldn’t give him reasons.

“The manner in which this was done, there was just suspicion all along, but we didn’t know what actually was behind the decision.”

Masemola said the only time he was briefed about the task team was after 31 December 2024.

He said he spent an entire week with Mchunu before the disbandment, but he didn’t mention it to him once.