National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola has accused suspended Police Minister Senzo Mchunu of overstepping his constitutional mandate by ordering the immediate disbandment of the Political Killings Task Team.
Testifying before the Madlanga Commission, Masemola said the Minister’s directive amounted to political interference in operational policing, which falls squarely under the authority of the National Commissioner.
“The Minister gives strategic direction, but the responsibility for implementation lies with the National Commissioner,” Masemola said. “Ordering the disbandment of a specialized unit is beyond the Minister’s powers and constitutes an encroachment.”
The Political Killings Task Team was established to investigate assassinations and politically motivated murders, particularly in KwaZulu-Natal, where political violence remains a pressing security concern.
Masemola’s testimony underscores longstanding tensions between political oversight and police operational independence, raising questions about the extent to which Ministers may influence the internal workings of the SAPS.
The Commission is probing allegations of political interference, abuse of power, and institutional instability within the police. Mchunu, currently suspended, has not yet formally responded to the Commissioner’s claims.