MPs slam Masemola for "not doing enough" to stop Mchunu’s alleged interference

Members of parliament have slammed National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola for what they have described as not doing enough to stop Police minister Senzo Mchunu’s alleged interference in police operations.

They said Masemola did not do enough to oppose Mchunu’s directive to disband the political killings task team, even after complaints from senior police officials like KZN police commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi.

MPs were quizzing Mkhwanazi on Friday, as he wrapped up his two days of testimony before Parliament's ad hoc committee investigating allegations of police corruption.

Some members of the committee were left unsatisfied with Masemola’s response to minister Mchunu’s directive to disband the task team.

They said Masemola had every right to not go ahead with what they call Mchunu’s illegal directive.

Action SA MP Dereleen James slammed Masemola for not standing up to Mchunu.

"The minister made a wrong decision. You should have stood up to it, you didn’t and that is a problem for South Africa," said James.

DA MP Glynnis Breytenbach said Masemola should have exercised his powers as the commissioner.

"You call the shots in the South African police service not the minister and if he tries you should tell him to go to hell, why didn’t you," said Breytenbach.

Masemola said he tried several times to get a response from the minister on his reasons, but Mchunu never responded.