Former police minister Bheki Cele on Thursday contradicted suspended Police Minister Senzo Mchunu on matters related to the formation and disestablishment of the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT).

Testifying at the parliamentary inquiry probing allegations made by KZN Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, Cele said the PKTT was formed by the Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) that was announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa in 2018.

“In my view, the PKTT was established by the IMC under the leadership of the president; therefore, only the president could disestablish it,” he said.

Mchunu previously told the inquiry that no IMC was overseeing the PKTT in the seventh administration, and he disbanded it for various reasons that included budgetary constraints and a new organogram providing for specialised units and discontinued the task team.

However, Cele said he did not remember anywhere, as a person involved in the IMC, the task team being disbanded until he saw Mchunu’s letter of directives issued on December 31, 2024.

“Any disestablishment of the PKTT would have been done with departments that form part of a steering committee of IMC, which has oversight over PKTT,” he said, adding that it could not be that the minister of Police did not take on board the rest of the IMC.

Cele also said a minister could not just establish or disband the task team, but had to do so through the national commissioner.

“This one (PKTT) is part of it, though announced by the president, calling an Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC).”

He added that the Justice, Crime Prevention and Security Cluster should also have discussed the matter, and Ramaphosa consulted before Mchunu disbanded the task team.

“Procedurally, I don’t agree with it. The way it came through should have been reversed,” he said.

Earlier, Cele said he was taken aback by the directive that disbanded the PKTT on the eve of the New Year.

“I realised one of the major problems was the issue of the task team that was dismantled, but I also knew the PKTT was dismantled because I saw the letter of 31 December 2024, which I must say personally, I was taken aback for several reasons I can explain,” he said.

Mchunu issued his directives to National Commissioner Fannie Masemola, ordering the disbandment of the PKTT and freezing of vacancies within the Crime Intelligence, which sparked Mkhwanazi’s briefing on July 6.

Cele noted with concern that there was no consultation on the matters raised in the letter, even with Crime Intelligence on the vacancies.

“The real one (directive) that has taken centre is PKTT. When I looked at the letter, I said this can’t be.”

The former minister said Mchunu did not call a meeting when he approached him about his decision, which was premised on wrong assumptions.

He also told the inquiry that despite advising him that he was a phone call away when he gave him a handover report on the ministry.

 “I don’t think I was entertained. I was told that the process was going to continue, no stoppage.”

Cele added that his request to Ramaphosa to convene a meeting between the three of them never materialised. “Indeed, we did not talk about it,” Cele said.

Recalling the day Mkhwanazi held the explosive media briefing, Cele said he was at the gym and later went home to follow the briefing.

“It was quite a big statement that was made on that particular day. I knew some of the things he would have said and would not know some as they were operational.”

Cele also said he was surprised by Mkhwanazi’s accusation that Deputy Police Commissioner Shadrack Sibiya was a criminal.

“I felt whatever was said had to be investigated further to find the facts on the matters.”

He added that he did not know there was a group of officers that had been sent to assist with investigations in Gauteng.

“I did not know that, which is not a problem because as a minister, there are operations you know and there are covert operations very few know.”

Cele also said Mkhwanazi was not the first person to speak about the infiltration of the criminal justice system, and mentioned Judge Thulare in the Western Cape High Court Division.

He also made examples of corrupt police officers and prosecutors who were arrested.

He expressed his concern that the parliamentary inquiry was focusing on the police when the allegations cut across the criminal justice system.

“I get this process concentrates on the police when allegations by Mkhwanazi were across the justice system. I find that the concentration here is on the police and letting other people go. The biggest crime in South Africa is planned in prison, where real planning takes place. I hear less about that.”

mayibongwe.maqhina@inl.co.za

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