Crime Intelligence head Lt-Gen Dumisani Khumalo detailed his bewilderment over a botched directive to dismantle the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT) during his ongoing testimony at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry into criminality, political interference, and corruption in South Africa’s criminal justice system.
Khumalo, resuming his evidence on Wednesday, described receiving a perplexing letter from suspended Deputy National Commissioner Lt-Gen Shadrack Sibiya—purportedly on instructions from Police Minister Senzo Mchunu—demanding a report justifying the PKTT’s disbandment. The team, formed in 2018 to probe politically motivated murders primarily in KwaZulu-Natal, was abruptly ordered dissolved on December 31, 2024, just seven months into Mchunu’s tenure.
“I was confused because I was never consulted when the decision was taken, and now I am told I must put together a report in two days explaining things that I don’t and couldn’t possibly know,” Khumalo told the commission, chaired by retired Constitutional Court Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga. He noted the letter’s glaring errors, including a deadline predating its receipt, underscoring what he called “clumsy mistakes” in the rush to shutter the unit.
Khumalo recounted a tense March meeting where Mchunu, via Sibiya and chief of staff Cedrick Nkabinde, insisted on immediate closure. He proposed a phased wind-down to handle ongoing cases, including the Eastern Cape’s Lusikisiki massacre, but Mchunu reportedly “reacted with anger” to any delay. “Sibiya and Nkabinde did not even want any reference or mention of the PKTT—they wanted the task team to be referred to as ‘investigators’,” Khumalo added, highlighting efforts to downplay the unit’s specialized role.
Facing subsequent pressure from Sibiya to execute the order, Khumalo resisted after determining the deputy lacked approval from National Police Commissioner Gen Fannie Masemola. “Sibiya was acting on his own and certainly did not have the approval of the national commissioner, so I was not going to bother carrying out his instructions,” he stated. The testimony builds on Khumalo’s earlier links between Sibiya and underworld figures, including alleged criminal mastermind Katiso “KT” Molefe, supported by CCTV evidence of a Sibiya aide allegedly collecting bribe money.
Mchunu and Sibiya, both on special leave amid the probe, have denied underworld ties. Mchunu previously defended the disbandment before Parliament’s ad hoc committee, citing budget constraints and the need to redirect resources from “one corner of the country.” Khumalo, however, advocated for replicating the PKTT’s “analysis-driven and prosecutorial-led” model nationwide, praising its success in cases like the 2024 Armand Swart murder, which uncovered cartel links to police and politicians.
The commission, sparked by KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lt-Gen Nhlanhala Mkhwanazi’s accusations of ministerial meddling, continues to unravel alleged syndicate influences, including drug cartels funding political ambitions via figures like Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala. Khumalo’s account points to deeper interference, with the PKTT’s closure coinciding with investigations into Gauteng-based “Big Five” cartels.
Proceedings resume Thursday, with Mchunu and Sibiya expected to respond to the mounting allegations.