The head of crime intelligence, Lt-Gen Dumisani Khumalo, is expected to provide crucial testimony when he appears on Thursday and Friday before Parliament’s Ad Hoc Committee investigating allegations made by SAPS KwaZulu-Natal provincial commissioner, Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi.

Khumalo follows the testimony of former acting national police commissioner Khomotso Phahlane who told the Ad Hoc Committee on Wednesday about the circumstances of his removal from the position as well as his suspension.

Committee members believe that the testimony of Khumalo will be integral and central as he headed the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT), whose disbandment prompted the Ad Hoc committee investigation.

Member of the committee for the ANC and Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Communications and Digital Technologies, Khusela Sangoni-Diko, said: “We think that he’s got a lot of insight, and experience in the South African Police Service as a whole, and (how it works). We have been battling in the country with the issue of the Criminal Intelligence fund and how it’s being used.

“Yes, some of the issues fall within the ambit of the Joint Standing Committee on Intelligence, but I think that, with the experience that he has and with him having first-hand knowledge of what transpired, it should be quite interesting testimony.

“I do expect that it would corroborate a lot of what General Mkhwanazi has said.

“We are looking forward to that testimony, and I’m sure there’ll be a lot more to still uncover.”

Sangoni-Diko added that it stands to reason that the committee was never intended to run for an extended period of time, and the committee tried at the beginning to get their terms of reference as tight as possible, “so we could do what we could, within the time that we’re given”.

“We have already asked for two extensions, and I believe that the Speaker’s office has indicated that this is the final one. Throughout this process, I think we have identified some systemic weaknesses within the South African police in particular.

“We haven’t delved as much as I would have liked into the rest of the criminal justice system. Yes, we would have spoken to the NPA and IDAC. We also spoke about the municipal police services. We did speak about the judiciary, but we haven’t had much of an opportunity to do that.

“I think at this point in time, there’s going to be a lot of meat in the report.

“I’m particularly worried about the issue of whistleblowers, protected disclosures, and how they seem to happen. Also, on the issue of classification of information, because you do get a sense in the discussions that these are areas that perhaps we need to strengthen some of the laws around.

“I think we just need to apply ourselves in terms of the final report and what comes out.”

theolin.tembo@inl.co.za

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