What the Commission Heard

During a tense session of the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry, several senior police figures laid out a troubling picture of political interference. KwaZulu‑Natal Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola and SAPS legal services head Major General Marga van Rooyen all testified about Police Minister Senzo Mchunu’s decision to dissolve the Political Killings Task Team. Their accounts converge on one unsettling fact: the minister’s anger was triggered when the task team finally cracked a case involving the assassination of a local councillor.

According to Masemola, the breakthrough came after district police seized two men with an illegal firearm. The district commissioner, suspecting a link to the councillor’s murder, called in the task team. Within days the unit pieced together evidence that tied the suspects to the killing, a development that apparently displeased Mchunu. The minister allegedly objected not because of procedural concerns, but because the task team had taken control of case files and publicly highlighted the connection.

Van Rooyen’s legal testimony pushed the narrative further. She argued that no minister has the power to unilaterally disband a specialised police unit. Such structural decisions fall under the exclusive jurisdiction of the National Commissioner, a safeguard designed to keep political agendas out of day‑to‑day policing. Her remarks underscored a breach of the SAPS Act, suggesting that Mchunu’s order was not only ill‑judged but outright illegal.

Adding to the chorus, security strategist Andy Mashaile seized the moment to call for a comprehensive overhaul of the South African Police Service. He claimed that Masemola’s acquiescence to the minister’s move signalled a dangerous erosion of institutional checks and balances.

Legal and Political Implications

The fallout from these testimonies is already rippling through South Africa’s political landscape. The Political Killings Task Team has been a cornerstone in probing politically motivated murders, a scourge that has plagued the nation for years. Its dissolution threatens to stall ongoing investigations, leaving victims’ families without closure and emboldening perpetrators.

Critics argue that the minister’s actions reflect a broader pattern of politicising the police force, especially ahead of upcoming elections. If the cabinet can dismantle a unit that shines a light on political violence, what other safeguards might be next? Opposition parties have seized on the commission’s findings, demanding a parliamentary inquiry into the minister’s authority and motives.

On the legal front, the National Commissioner’s office is expected to file a formal challenge against the minister’s order. Should the courts affirm van Rooyen’s stance, it could set a precedent that reinforces the separation of powers within the policing hierarchy.

Meanwhile, the Madlanga Commission continues to hear evidence, with more witnesses slated to appear in the coming weeks. Each testimony adds another layer to an already complex saga that blends law, politics and public safety. What remains clear is that the controversy over the task team’s disbandment has become a flashpoint for broader debates about accountability, the rule of law and the fight against political killings in South Africa.