FORMER Western Cape police commissioner Dr Lennit Max has told Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia to stay in his lane. 

This after Cachalia slammed national police commissioner Fannie Masemola’s intention to return the 121 dockets to the Political Killings Task Team in KwaZulu-Natal. 

In response to Masemola’s call on Friday, Cachalia on Saturday said that it will undermine the work to be done by the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry into allegations of criminality, political interference and corruption in parts of the criminal justice system.

The removal of the dockets from the team first came to light when KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi alleged that Police Minister Senzo Mchunu had interfered in police operations by instructing the disbandment of the Political Killings Task Team and the removal of the dockets.

Mkhwanazi also accused Crime Detection Deputy Commissioner Shadrack Sibiya of being central to the decision to have the dockets housed in SAPS headquarters in Pretoria, an allegation Sibiya has repeatedly denied.

But Max said the dockets had nothing to do with the commission of inquiry.

He told the Cape Times: “The commission of inquiry has to investigate whether there was interference. It has nothing to do with who investigates the dockets and who cannot investigate the dockets. 

“The national commissioner has a constitutional duty to ensure that those dockets are investigated properly. 

“As a security measure the national commissioner said on national TV that he or his [staff] are busy making copies of those dockets to ensure those dockets don’t disappear. 

“The minister, with due respect, might have a misconception about the reasons for the commission of inquiry because those dockets must be investigated. 

“If the minister’s intention is to block those dockets, it will be an interference with the operations of the national commissioner. But at this time I don’t know what the minister’s intention is.”

On tensions between Sibiya and Masemola, Max said the squabble between the country’s top cops was having a negative impact on morale and discipline within the police service.

He added: “The tension between the deputy and national commissioner is not good for the morale of the South African police. 

“It’s not good for discipline and it’s not good for effective service delivery.”

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