The testimony of suspended Police Minister Senzo Mchunu has been extended by a day until Wednesday to afford more time to facilitate lead evidence from Chief Evidence Leader, Advocate Norman Arendse, SC.
This is also to allow playing the recording after Mchunu alleged that KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi made threats if he went ahead to disband the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT).
Mchunu’s legal team made available the recording before the start of the hearing on Friday, but the part wherein Mkhwanazi allegedly makes “fight back” threats could not be found other than references in the conversation between him and Mchunu’s chief of staff, Cedrick Nkabinde.
The inquiry is probing the allegations made by Mkhwanazi at the explosive media briefing on July 6, when he made allegations of infiltration of the criminal justice system by criminal syndicates and accused Mchunu of political interference in police operations.
Ad Hoc Committee Chairperson, Soviet Lekganyane, said they would look at how to deal with the recording when they resume on Tuesday.
“When we stop proceedings today (Friday), yourself (Arendse) and legal team with the witness must find each other on certain issues that must not take us time so that when you come back on Tuesday, you know you have two hours,” he said.
Mchunu’s leading of evidence was set aside for Thursday and Friday until lunchtime to lead evidence as well as for Tuesday for questions.
Arendse said Wednesday was open because there was a witness scheduled to appear before the inquiry.
The inquiry was established to probe the unlawful dissolution of the PKTT, the freezing of filling vacancies within Crime Intelligence, and alleged corruption by senior leaders in the SAPS, public and political interference in the work of the police.
On December 31, 2024, Mchunu wrote a letter to National Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola demanding immediate disbandment of the PKTT.
The inquiry has heard from Mkhwanazi and Masemola that there was no consultation on the disbandment and that Mchunu overreached his powers and interfered in operational matters.
However, Deputy National Commissioner Shadrack Sibiya maintains that there was consultation with the police top brass.
The directive sent to Masemola contained two reasons for the disbandment of the task team.
“My observation in this regard, as indicated above, is that further existence of this team is no longer required nor is it adding any value to policing in South Africa,” he wrote at the time.
On Friday, Mchunu said he took full responsibility for his letter of directives.
“I don’t want to leave any doubt in terms of who wrote the letter and why the letter was written, therefore I take full responsibility and I want even to assure you that I was sober when I wrote this letter,” he said.
Mkhwanazi suggested in his testimony that someone may have written the letter, and Mchunu signed it after Nkabinde told him there was back and forth in the exchange of drafts.
Mchunu said his advisor, Advocate Vusi Pikoli, who assisted in drafting the letters, “has no doubt that it (the directive) is within the Constitution and it is within the legislative framework”.
Quizzed on why he furnished two reasons in his directive, Mchunu said the directive was not necessarily outlining all his reasons.
“What I wrote is high level summary that I had concerns. There is a whole range of issues but I could not squeeze it all there,” he said.
He insisted that he had had a discussion with Masemola and senior management on his concerns, despite the National Commissioner saying he was surprised by the PKTT’s disbandment.
Asked why he did not consult Masemola, Mchunu said he had envisaged that there would be a meeting to discuss his decision.
“I was firm and clear that we would need to discuss some aspects, but those things were affected.”
He confirmed that he did not consult Masemola, Mkhwanazi, and the PKTT’s project manager, Lieutenant-General Dumisani Khumalo.
“I did not have any meetings with the three generals focusing on the PKTT, but discussions about other things took place in our meetings. It’s not like I didn’t have discussions with the South African Police Service,” said the minister.
He also confirmed that there was no dedicated meeting to discuss the PKTT before he wrote his letter of directives.
Mchunu was adamant that all the matters in the letter were discussed with SAPS top management.
“What were not discussed are the directives themselves. I wrote them but the matters constituting the substance are well known to the people you mention,” he said.
Former minister Bheki Cele is expected to testify next week in the parliamentary inquiry.
Cele will be the fifth witness when he takes the stand to give his evidence and be asked questions on Thursday and Friday, respectively.
