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Mary de Haas testifying before Parliaments Ad Hoc Committee, 18 November 2025.
KwaZulu-Natal (KZN)-based researcher and crime activist Dr Mary De Haas has told Parliament that she will not disclose the identities of her informants, citing fears of reprisals.
De Haas explains that, as a social worker, she took an oath of confidentiality and emphasises that some of the individuals who provided her with crucial information are well known in the media space, with several having already testified before relevant bodies.
Her stance follows concerns raised by Members of Parliament that her testimony may amount to hearsay and third-party information.
Livestream | Parliament Ad Hoc Committee | Human rights activist and violence monitor Mary de Haas
Moreover, de Haas has told Parliament’s Ad Hoc committee that she found the resources spent on crimes related to politicians absurd, when people in general find it difficult to access justice.
De Haas, an honorary research fellow from KZN University, has been accused by Provincial Police Commissioner Mkhwanazi of pushing for the closure of the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT).
She also wrote to Police Minister, Senzo Mchunu, who has been placed on special leave, calling for the unit to be shut down because, according to her, it had consumed a significant chunk of resources over six years with little tangible results.
Her letter was used as a reference by Mchunu as one of the reasons he disbanded the task team.
De Haas explains why she thought the PKTT needed to be disbanded. “I see people dying and the police doing nothing and yet were spending this money on this team, outrageous. Poor people don’t get justice. You don’t hear about them dying. They die all the time. Why are (they) doing something special for politicians,” adds de Haas.
