Boshielo thought Mchunu's directive to disband PKTT was fake, ad hoc committee hears

Deputy Police Minister Dr Polly Boshielo told Parliament that she thought the directive to disband the political killings task team was fake.

Boshielo joined her fellow deputy minister, Cassel Mathale, who also told Parliament's ad hoc committee that he initially doubted the authenticity of the directive by Minister Senzo Mchunu on New Year’s Eve last year.

Boshielo was giving evidence before the ad hoc committee investigating police corruption in Parliament on Tuesday.

The deputy minister took the stand before the ad hoc committee, where she was also grilled about the disbanding of the political killings task team.

Like most witnesses thus far, Boshielo said she wasn’t aware of Mchunu’s directive and only saw it on social media.

She said that Mchunu called her to confirm it wasn’t a fake.

"I became aware of the directive while it was circulating on social media and I assumed it was fake, until the minister called me in early January to inform me that the letter that was circulating was not fake and he wrote it himself."

Boshielo said that she couldn’t object or express her views on the directive because Mchunu has the executive authority and used his powers accordingly.