SAPS Crime Intelligence Head, Lieutenant-General Dumisani Khumalo, testified at the Madlanga Commission that the disbandment of the elite Political Killings Task Team (PKTT) was orchestrated by senior officials at the behest of a cartel that feared being exposed, adding that some of the evidence will not be on camera.

Khumalo alleged that a cartel working in Gauteng was stringing armed, powerful individuals within the state to dismantle the unit, not due to inefficiency, but to avoid scrutiny amid growing evidence of deep infiltration by organised crime into the criminal justice system.

“But alongside this evidence set out in the statement, there is also considerably more evidence at my disposal that cannot be shared in a public space for the following reasons, he said.

The PKTT was dissolved in December 2024 after suspended Police Minister Senzo Mchunu sent a directive to the National Commissioner, Gen. Fannie Masemola, claimed the unit “no longer added value” to police work.

However, Khumalo’s testimony directly contradicts that narrative, suggesting the team was making dangerous progress.

He revealed that some of his findings cannot be disclosed publicly due to operational security concerns.

“Sharing some of the evidence will expose our methodologies, will expose our informants, the resources, taking also into consideration the high risk, the current threat assessment of the Gauteng organised crime, Gauteng counterintelligence investigation,” he said.

“As it’s still ongoing, also sharing some of the information will compromise the same ongoing investigation.”

He emphasised that certain testimonies must not be heard in camera, citing a high-risk threat environment and the critical need to protect both sources and the integrity of the investigations.

Khumalo’s statement raised serious questions about the extent of political interference in law enforcement and the real motives behind the PKTT’s abrupt termination.

kamogelo.moichela@iol.co.za

IOL Politics

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