Senthumule concerned over claims Mogotsi knew of PKTT disbandment

Lieutenant-General Hilda Senthumule testifies before Parliament’s Ad Hoc Committee.

Acting Deputy National Police Commissioner for Crime Detection, Lieutenant-General Hilda Senthumule says reports that controversial North West businessman Brown Mogotsi, allegedly knew about the disbandment of the Political Task Team (PKTT) before senior police leadership, would be a serious concern if true.

Senthumule has been testifying before Parliament’s Ad Hoc Committee probing criminal infiltration, corruption and political interference in the justice system.

She warned that such a leak points to a major problem within the South African Police Service, where sensitive information should be tightly controlled to protect ongoing investigations.

“Sitting in this chair, I think I’ll be lying to say anything than it was surprising. Any answer than that, it was surprising. But also, if what he says is true, then definitely we have a big problem within the organisation. I spoke about compartmentalisation. I spoke about what regulates even us internally, discussing cases, in some of the cases that I would deal with, you’ll find that one of the generals probably is a suspect. That’s why we then don’t discuss those things. But if these things are actually available to the outsiders, it is a cause for concern.”

Ad Hoc Committee on Mkhwanazi: Lt Gen Hilda Senthumule, acting Dep Nat Commissioner for Crime Detection & Div Commissioner for Detective & Forensic Services is our witness today. 📸Zwelethemba Kostile/Parliamentof RSA @ParliamentofRSA @SAPoliceService #pktt pic.twitter.com/9WAlnlLQvS

— Justice-and-security-Cluster (@JustSecuCluster) March 10, 2026

Senthumule says KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner, Lt-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi should have been consulted before any move to disband the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT).

She has told Members of Parliament that as the custodian of the political killings dockets and a key figure in the task team, Mkhwanazi’s exclusion from the process was difficult to justify.

“Up to the time when I spoke to him, my thinking was as the person who is the custodian of the dockets, he is involved. And for me, the process should not even start without him. I referred to the previous minutes, I referred to the previous minutes, which I said Honourable Mathys could ask about, where General Mkhwanazi would be the one leading the discussions on the PKTT. So, if you disband such a structure, the least you can do is to be able to refer back to him.

AD HOC COMMITTEE | Lieutenant-General Hilda Senthumule says KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi was correct in refusing to take the PKTT dockets back. pic.twitter.com/ydxHHoRSbe

— SABC News (@SABCNews) March 10, 2026

AD HOC COMMITTEE | Lieutenant General Hilda Senthumule says she agrees the PKTT dockets should never have been sent to SAPS headquarters in Pretoria. pic.twitter.com/EGAxDrLwEY

— SABC News (@SABCNews) March 10, 2026

Deep divisions within the leadership of the South African Police Service once again came under sharp focus.

African National Congress (ANC) MP Khusela Diko questioned Acting Deputy National Commissioner for Crime Detection, Lieutenant-General Hilda Senthumule on whether the police top brass can still work together, after allegations of infighting and factional battles surfaced before the Ad Hoc Committee.

Senthumule says despite personal differences, police leaders must remain focused on serving the people of South Africa.

“My approach to the question would be based on why are we employed by SAPS? Why is there government in the country? Why are there government departments? How do they synergise and for us to be able to deliver a service to the communities? When we serve, we don’t serve or at our behest. It is actually at the behest of the people of this country. So, how we feel or how we see each other should not be a determining factor of us moving forward. I think for me, we are here for a reason, and if, for example, some of us don’t belong here, then let it be. But if we are not progressive, we actually affect even those who are coming after us.”