Factional disputes over disbandment of PPKTT stalled probes into 121 politically-related killings, Madlanga Commission hears

The Madlanga Commission has heard how factional disputes over the disbandment of the political killings task team (PKTT) stalled investigations into 121 politically related cases.

Testifying before the commission, acting deputy national police commissioner for crime detection, Hilda Senthumule, outlined clear factional divides within the police top brass.

The commissioners viewed the situation as a blatant disregard for the law, as police management on multiple occasions failed to adequately address the disbandment of the PKTT.

In May, Hilda Senthumule was tasked with carrying out a detailed plan to audit the 121 dockets, taken away from the PKTT, and facilitate their handover to their stations of origin.

READ: Order to disband PKTT caused rift at SAPS headquarters, Madlanga Commission hears

She recounted her difficulty when engaging with KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) police boss, Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi,about returning the dockets to the province. He reportedly wanted nothing to do with it.

"He didn’t say to me not to bring the dockets, he said to me: 'If you bring the dockets, know this, I won’t be responsible for them.'"

Madlanga co-commissioner, Advocate Sandile Khumalo, accused the police top brass of prioritising their own agendas over the victims of the crimes.

"All of you, from General Masemola, General Sibiya, yourself, General Khumalo. You let the victims of crime down because these are now internal squabbles at senior national police level and it is impacting victims of crime."

The dockets were eventually returned to the PKTT in August, four months after being transferred to Pretoria.