Budget Control at Heart of PKTT Clash: Mkhwanazi Testifies Masemola Took Over Finances in 2022

A new and critical detail has emerged at the Madlanga Commission, shedding light on the internal power struggle that led to the disbanding of the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT). KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi has testified that National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola assumed direct control of the unit’s budget shortly after his appointment in 2022.

This testimony places the control of financial resources at the center of the dispute, suggesting that the authority over the specialized unit’s operations was systematically centralized in Pretoria, well before the controversial order to disband it was issued.

The Power of the Purse Strings

Mkhwanazi’s revelation is significant. The budget for a specialized unit like the PKTT is its lifeblood, funding everything from vehicle fuel and overtime for investigators to covert operations and witness protection. By taking control of the budget, the National Commissioner’s office effectively held the power to either enable or strangle the task team’s investigative work.

This move fundamentally altered the chain of command. While the PKTT was a provincial structure operating in KZN, its financial leash was being held at the national level. This created a complex and potentially fraught reporting structure, where the provincial commander could be held accountable for results without having direct control over the resources needed to achieve them.

A Pre-existing Tension

This testimony suggests that the friction over the PKTT did not begin with the recent disbandment order but was brewing for years. The centralization of the budget in 2022 indicates a long-standing intention from national headquarters to bring the high-profile unit under its direct wing.

For General Mkhwanazi, who has been a staunch defender of the PKTT’s work, this would have represented a significant erosion of his operational autonomy in fighting politically motivated murders in his province. It frames the eventual decision to disband the unit as the final step in a longer process of consolidating control.

A Key Piece of the Puzzle

Mkhwanazi’s account provides the commission with a crucial timeline and a tangible point of conflict beyond the philosophical debate over ministerial versus operational authority. It moves the debate from “who had the right to issue an order” to “who controlled the means to carry out the mission.”

This testimony strengthens the narrative that the disbandment of the PKTT was not a sudden, isolated decision but the culmination of a gradual takeover, with the budget serving as the first and most critical lever pulled. The commission must now determine whether this centralization of financial control was a routine administrative act or a strategic move that ultimately compromised the fight against political assassinations in KZN.

{Source: IOL}

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