Parliament's police corruption iquiry: PKTT funding thrust under the spotlight

The budget and personnel costs of the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT) have once again come under scrutiny during public hearings before the Police Ad Hoc Committee.

Civil society organisations making submissions have questioned the true success of the PKTT and whether its recent disbandment by Police Minister Senzo Mchunu was justified. The committee, which is investigating allegations of police corruption, is receiving further submissions on Wednesday as it nears the conclusion of its hearings.

On Tuesday, the committee heard from the Institute for Security Studies (ISS). The ISS stated that while Minister Mchunu’s directive to disband the unit may have been questionable from a strategic standpoint, it was not illegal under current legislation.

On Wednesday, Dr Jean Redpath from the Dullah Omar Institute continued submissions regarding the PKTT’s performance. Redpath argued that the unit's operational costs are exorbitant when compared to other critical agencies, such as the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC).

"Even the first six months of the additional expenditure on the PKTT of R50 million is significant when you consider how comparatively little is allocated to the IDAC," Redpath noted.

The submissions met with resistance from committee member Sibonelo Nomvalo, who accused Redpath of attempting to paint an unfairly negative picture of the PKTT’s success. Nomvalo argued that Redpath was conflating general provincial homicide statistics with the specific scope of the task team.

"You have wrongfully criticised PKTT here by inserting wrong numbers - which are outside the scope of the PKTT," Nomvalo stated.

Despite these accusations, Redpath maintains that for the level of investment received, the PKTT should ideally have had a broader impact on crime reduction rather than being limited strictly to politically related offences.