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National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola
National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola has sought to explain under what circumstances he would obey the Police Minister’s instructions. He is testifying before the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry in Pretoria.
His explanation relates to the disbandment of the Political Killings Task Team. This was after KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi alleged that there was a lack of communication of the decision, which he said was politically motivated and aimed at shielding powerful individuals involved in crime.
Masemola says the instruction must be legal for him to see it through.
He claims that Police Minister Senzo Mchunu encroached on his territory by deciding to disband the KwaZulu-Natal political killings task team.
Mchunu disbanded the task team in December 2024.
Masemola says Mchunu is not responsible for police operations. “If ever he found anything wrong with the task team, he could say Task team, I think you could disband it, and we can engage in terms of the why and how and so on. But to go further to say go and disband, but then after saying disband, you go further to say now, now, now, and not tomorrow. I think that is a total encroachment of the mandate of the National Commissioner in terms of the performance of my duties.”
Livestream:
Mkhwanazi raised critical questions regarding the disbandment of the Political Killings Task Team. He alleged that the decision was politically motivated and aimed at shielding powerful individuals involved in crime.
There are several questions for General Masemola, but they’ll probably center around the political killings task team and, of course, the overall operations of the SAPS with respect to the Minister of Police and his participation and their efforts to fight crime in SA.
