In testimony before the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry in Pretoria, KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi has uncovered troubling details regarding the potential breakdown in law enforcement related to political killings in the province. His comments come in the wake of serious allegations regarding interference in police operations and the existence of deep-rooted corruption within the ranks of law enforcement.
Mkhwanazi’s statements shed light on how the failure to effectuate arrests intertwined with the seizure of 121 dockets from the provincial political killings task team. Despite a court order mandating the arrest of identified suspects, key actions were inexplicably left unfulfilled. He revealed that of the 121 dockets examined, at least five specifically contained instructions for the arrests, yet they lingered untouched in the head office after being transferred there.
“For the period when these dockets were handed over to the head office, there were five of those dockets that had instruction to arrest suspects because the instruction came before the execution of those arrests,” Mkhwanazi said. He expressed his concern over the inaction, particularly as the head office’s detective services had previously inspected these dockets without following through on crucial directives to apprehend suspects.
The political killings task team, which has been at the centre of this inquiry, continues to operate, despite receiving instructions from Police Minister Senzo Mchunu to disband. Mkhwanazi explained that he hadn’t received any formal communication concerning the disbandment and that the team proceeded with its investigations into potential corruption and political interference.
“The instruction was not officially given to me. It would’ve been sent to the national commissioner, who did not communicate anything to me. But what I know of is that the team continued to work; it never stopped,” Mkhwanazi said. However, he noted a significant reduction in the number of personnel deployed to the task team, potentially as a result of budgetary constraints.