Khumalo tells parliament: Minister had no authority to dissolve Political Killings Unit

The Head of Police Crime Intelligence, Dumisani Khumalo, has accused Minister Senzo Mchunu of overstepping his authority by ordering the disbandment of the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT).

Testifying before the Ad Hoc Committee investigating police corruption in Parliament on Friday, Khumalo echoed previous evidence provided by witnesses such as KZN Provincial Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi. He maintained that Mchunu, who is currently on special leave, held no legal standing to dissolve the specialised unit.

CONTRADICTING THE INTER-MINISTERIAL COMMITTEE
Khumalo submitted evidence earlier this week indicating that the Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC), chaired by the Police Minister, never supported the dissolution of the PKTT. Instead, the IMC had explicitly called for the team to remain operational, particularly as the country faced a spike in politically motivated cases leading up to the 2024 general elections.

Khumalo told the committee on Friday that Minister Mchunu "overplayed his hand" by issuing a directive that directly contradicted the IMC’s recommendations.

"According to my understanding and my view, the Minister did overreach because those are operational powers of the National Commissioner—to establish and de-establish the task team," Khumalo testified.

NEXT STEPS FOR THE INQUIRY
Khumalo’s testimony concluded today after two days of proceedings. The investigation into police conduct and corruption will continue next week, with several high-profile witnesses scheduled to appear.

UPCOMING WITNESSES:

Robert McBride: Former Head of the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID).

Julius Mkhwanazi: Suspended Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department (EMPD) Deputy Chief.