Police Inquiry: R450m political killings unit under fire over weak returns
With over R450 million spent on the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT) since its inception, serious questions have emerged about whether it has delivered sufficient value for money.
This issue was addressed in detail by Lieutenant General Puleng Dimpane, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of the South African Police Service (SAPS), during testimony before the Ad Hoc Committee investigating allegations of criminal syndicate infiltration within the SAPS.
The committee was established in October to examine claims made by KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi.
Mkhwanazi accused senior police officers and politicians of obstructing police operations and protecting drug cartels implicated in political assassinations.
Given these grave concerns, the committee’s evidence leader Lerato Zikalala focused on financial accountability within specialised police units, including the PKTT.
Dimpane’s testimony centered on whether the significant investment in the PKTT has translated into tangible results. She acknowledged the ongoing challenge of assessing the financial impact of police task teams.
“From a financial perspective, we continually ask ourselves if these interventions are a return on investment. We want to ensure the resources allocated lead to measurable outcomes,” Dimpane explained.
She revealed that SAPS currently lacks a formal model to comprehensively assess the “value for money” of police task teams such as the PKTT.
“We have approached our research teams to develop such an impact assessment framework. Assessments of prior operations during lockdowns and other interventions are underway, but reports on these are pending.
“We’re optimistic that before the end of this financial year, we will have a model to evaluate the effectiveness and justify future investment,” she said.
Dimpane also discussed the logistical challenges posed by the PKTT’s temporary, often reactive nature. The task team, originally set up to tackle specific issues in KwaZulu-Natal, has effectively morphed into a longer-term, nationwide intervention.
“The task team was established for a specific period and purpose, but the problem it addresses is ongoing,” she noted.
“From a budgeting perspective, it is difficult to project costs and allocate resources adequately when funding renewals occur almost every three months over five years. There is a growing conversation about perhaps making this a permanent structure to ensure proper resourcing and accountability.”
Despite the financial concerns, Dimpane clarified that she had never directly advocated for or participated in the PKTT’s operational meetings, emphasising that her role is financial oversight rather than operational management.
When probed about whether suspended Police Minister Senzo Mchunu, who disbanded the PKTT, had raised financial concerns about the task team, Dimpane said that it had never been discussed.
“These issues were never discussed with me. In fact, Minister Mchunu never brought up the PKTT in any of the budget presentations or meetings I attended. I first heard about the disbandment through media reports while on leave.”
She further dispelled reports that Mchunu had received or relied on a financial briefing note from her regarding the PKTT’s funding.
“I did not provide any such document to Minister Mchunu, nor did I give anyone permission to use internal SAPS financial notes outside official channels,” she asserted.
The CFO’s testimony sheds light on the complex financial management challenges SAPS faces in balancing operational demands with accountability, especially for specialized units tackling politically sensitive crimes.
As the Ad Hoc Committee continues its work, it remains to be seen whether reforms will be introduced to formalise or restructure the PKTT.
Dimpane’s call for a robust evaluation model underscores the need to ensure that every Rand spent on these critical interventions delivers measurable security outcomes for South Africa.
thabo.makwakwa@inl.co.za
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