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Former Police Minister Bheki Cele appears before the parliamentary ad hoc committee, October 23, 2025.
Former Police Minister Bheki Cele has kicked off his testimony before Parliament’s Ad hoc committee looking into concerns around national security.
Cele says the minister of police has powers to initiate tasks, but adds that a minister cannot establish and disestablish task teams within the police force.
He adds that the establishment or disestablishment of structures within the South African Police Service (SAPS) has to be carried out by the national commissioner.
This is in sharp contrast to what Minister Senzo Mchunu told MPs during his appearance before the Ad hoc Committee on Tuesday.
Cele says the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT) is the only police operation that is costing the SAPS millions.
He says Operation Thunder, which is now referred to as Operation Lockdown, cost the police force over R116 million.
The committee was established following allegations of criminal infiltration, corruption and political interference in the criminal justice system made by KwaZulu-Natal Commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi.
Cele, who was the Police Minister between February 2018 and June 2024, would have overseen the operations of the Political Killings Task Team, during his tenure.
The same task team that the Minister Mchunu, who has been placed on special leave, decided to disband on December 31 last year.
Evidence leader advocate Norman Arendse has outlined aspects which they expect Cele to deal with.
“There’s a number of paragraphs in the terms of reference that you’re able to assist the honourable members of the committee when it comes to interpreting them and applying them. For example, 4.1.1 political interference within SAPS, you can speak to that, any related claim regarding corruption – financial or otherwise, bribery, misuse of public resources within SAPS, and evaluating the extent of misconduct.”
“Unethical behaviour by the members of SAPS and your own personal experience being in leadership positions in the police, both as a national commissioner and as a minister.”
Arendse has also thanked Cele for his cooperation: “Thank you for being very cooperative despite earlier media reports that said you weren’t. In fact, you were very willing to assist. Would you like to comment on that?”
Cele replied: “Yes, I was a little bit disturbed, a media in KZN saying Cele snubbed Ad hoc, [I would] never done [do] that.”-Additional reporting by Sibahle Motha
