Some of the Moerane Commission’s recommendations are bearing fruit as they led to the police’s Political Killings Task Team (PKTT) formation and the reduction of murders in Glebelands Hostel, south of Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, said a former secretary of the commission.

The former secretary, who asked not to be named to protect his business’s integrity, said the commission completed its work and handed the report to the premier’s officer, who had a mandate to implement the recommendations.

When contacted, Advocate Marumo Moerane SC declined to comment on the implementation of his recommendations. He said he often gets calls from journalists seeking his comment on the implementation. 

“Each time I give the same answer, for professional reasons, I don’t comment on the work that I do. We submitted the report, which is in the public domain, its findings and recommendations, and the evidence on which the findings and recommendations were based is a matter of public records,” he said.

Former KZN premier Willies Mchunu commissioned Moerane in October 2016 to investigate the underlying causes of the political violence dating back to 2011 in the province and suggest solutions. 

This was during the peak of political killings. 

The commission’s secretariat was made up of Solo Mdledle, Frans Muller, Zola Moima, and Busisiwe Dube.

One of them told this reporter that the arrest and conviction of Sibusiso Ncengwa, who confessed to being a hitman in the former ANC Youth League secretary general Sindiso Magaqa’s murder, was a result of the implementation of the recommendations contained in the report released in June 2018.

Ncengwa was expected to turn a State witness in the case implicating former Umzimkhulu municipal manager Zweliphansi Stanley Skhosana in Magaqa’s murder.

The PKTT, which is now the subject of the Madlanga Commission and Parliament’s Ad Hoc Committee, which are separately investigating the allegations of political interference in the police work, has been credited with several other recent arrests in the high-profile murder of politicians and traditional leaders. 

“The Moerane Commission was a success because it raised awareness, and everyone now knows what was happening,” the former secretary said. 

He said that although the recommendations were not binding, they led to the arrests in Glebelands.

“The situation in Glebelands was attended to as a result of the recommendations, and the Glebelands became a spotlight because of the commission, and people even thought that the commission was created for what was happening in Glebelands.

“As a result, there was a breakthrough in those cases,” said the former secretary.

According to the South African Human Rights Commission, more than 100 people were killed at the hostel between 2014 and 2017. 

The commission had recommended that law enforcement agents should fight corruption and criminal acts committed by politicians, public officials, and businesspeople. 

It also called for the criminal justice system to be depoliticised and be protected from political manipulation so that it can act vigorously, expeditiously, and without fear or favour in instilling public confidence.

It also called for the national ministers of the security cluster to form an inter-ministerial task force, which would work with provincial and municipal structures in reviewing and ensuring the effectiveness of the security agencies. 

The former secretary said the PKTT was formed out of the recommendations because it is made up of police and the National Prosecuting Authority, and backed by the State Security Agency and Correctional Services, the KwaZulu-Natal premier, and the MEC for Community Safety and Liaison.

The commission drew the interest of the police and the Independent Police Investigative Directorate and many structures and individuals who had an interest in the political violence in KZN.

The former secretary said the commission’s terms of reference were to investigate the underlying causes of violence. 

“We were not there to substitute or do the work of the police.” 

He said the killings might not have come to an end after the recommendations were released because the province has a history of violence dating back to the apartheid period.

“Sometimes it is not political when you look at the taxi industry.

“The underlying causes go beyond political killings,” said the former secretary.

The commission had also recommended that political parties should conduct political education to resolve internal factionalism and build tolerance among themselves and among members. 

University of KwaZulu-Natal political analyst Zakhele Ndlovu said the existence of the PKTT proves that some recommendations were implemented. 

“But as you know, through the Madlanga Commission, they tried to disband the task team, but it is now back. 

“So it can be argued that some aspects of the recommendations are gathering dust, but others are being implemented,” said Ndlovu.

Ndlovu doubted that political parties were implementing the recommendations.

“We have local government elections coming up next year, and we are bound to witness a lot of political assassinations,” Ndlovu. 

He said political parties were still unable to resolve internal factionalism and differences between themselves. 

“Killing used to be interparty between the ANC and IFP, but now it is mostly intra-party,” said Ndlovu.

He is concerned that some people join parties because of unemployment.

“They see politics as a career, not to serve the nation but more to earn income and support their families,” said Ndlovu. 

Magaqa’s associate in exposing corruption, Thabiso Zulu, was unhappy with the recommendations, which he said left out some important issues that were raised by people who testified. 

“It was suggested that we close the tap of corruption, because corrupt money is used to kill people, but what was done about that?” asked Zulu.   

He said the recommendations did not include the suggestion that security companies that were contracted to provide security to political principals in government spheres were also involved in the killings.

“Some of them have hitmen at night and bodyguards during the day. Nothing has been done about that. 

“When we grew up, people would be killed with one bullet, but today a person is killed with 34 bullets. Where do you think those bullets come from?” he asked. 

Zulu is often in hiding for fear of his safety because of exposing corruption and testifying at the commission. 

“The lives of the people who testified are still not safe today, while they (people who were working for the commission) were paid, and they continue with their lives, while people who testified had their lives changed for the worse,” he said. 

Attempts to get comments from Linda Zama, who was the advisor to Mchunu at the time of the commission, and Professor Cheryl Potgieter, who was one of the commissioners, were unsuccessful as they were not available. 

bongani.hans@inl.co.za

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