Deputy Police Minister Cassel Mathale has expressed shock and concern over the sudden directive to disband the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT), revealing that he first learned about the disbandment through social media.
Appearing before Parliament’s ad hoc committee on Tuesday, Mathale described the immediate closure order as “unusual” and impractical.
“I thought it was fake when I first saw the directive on social media,” Mathale told committee members.
“When I saw the letter of the disbandment of the PKTT, I had a problem with how it was written because it was not practical to do those things.”
The PKTT, an elite unit tasked with investigating politically motivated killings, was abruptly disbanded following a shocking instruction dated December 31, 2024, issued without prior consultations.
The directive came from suspended Police Minister Senzo Mchunu, who is currently facing allegations of criminal interference in the justice system.
Mathale criticised the manner in which the decision was made.
“An executive authority makes a decision and sits down so that there’s no misinterpretation of the decision. The way the letter was written, it felt like a personal act rather than a considered executive decision,” he said.
The ad hoc committee was established in response to a whistleblower complaint submitted in July by KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lt Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi.
The complaint alleged widespread corruption, criminal infiltration, and undue political interference within the South African criminal justice system — issues that jeopardize the integrity of law enforcement.
When SC Norman Arendse asked Mathale whether he accepted that Lt Gen Mkhwanazi had done everything possible to address concerns before going public, Mathale replied, “Yes, I accept that.”
The Deputy Minister also acknowledged his ongoing discussions with Mchunu, but stated that the disbandment of the PKTT was never on the agenda.
“We have discussed a lot of things with Minister Mchunu, but we never discussed the disbanding of the PKTT,” Mathale told the committee.
On the issue of Brown Mogotsi—an alleged associate of suspended Minister Mchunu who allegedly played a role in political circles—Mathale said he had little knowledge of him.
“I don’t know Brown Mogotsi and never saw him at the ANC January 8th celebration. Let me not say I have never met him, but I may have been part of an event where he was present,” Mathale said.
Regarding Mogotsi’s reported involvement in President Cyril Ramaphosa’s 2017 campaign, Mathale commented, “I think he’s quite an operator in the people he plays a role with,” but he did not elaborate further.
As the inquiry into the alleged corruption and political interference continues, the role of the PKTT and its abrupt disbandment remain focal points for Parliament and the public alike.
Politics
