Police Minister told to stay out of KZN political killings probe

Masemola moves to restore trust in KZN investigations

South Africa’s long-running struggle with political killings in KwaZulu-Natal has once again sparked tension between the country’s top police leadership and government. At the centre of the storm are 121 sensitive case dockets, pulled from the province and later returned, igniting accusations of interference at the highest levels.

National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola recently announced that the dockets will be sent back to the Political Killings Task Team in KZN. The move is meant to allow investigators to resume work that had stalled after the files were removed to SAPS headquarters in Pretoria.

But Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia was quick to raise concerns. He claimed Masemola had not consulted him before making the decision, hinting that the commission of inquiry into alleged political interference and corruption in the justice system should have first examined the matter.

Where the tension began

The controversy started when KZN Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi accused former Police Minister Senzo Mchunu of ordering the disbandment of the Political Killings Task Team. He also alleged that Crime Detection Deputy Commissioner Shadrack Sibiya was central to moving the dockets to Pretoria, a claim Sibiya denies.

These explosive allegations prompted President Cyril Ramaphosa to establish the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry, expected to investigate whether political interference and corruption have compromised the criminal justice system. The commission’s start was recently postponed.

Expert: “Minister must not interfere in operations”

Speaking to the Cape Times, former Western Cape police commissioner Dr Lennit Max stressed that returning the dockets to investigators does not undermine the inquiry.

He explained that the commission’s mandate is to probe interference, not decide who should investigate cases.
“The national commissioner has a constitutional duty to ensure those dockets are properly investigated. The minister may have misunderstood the purpose of the commission,” said Max.

He warned that if the minister blocks the investigations, that itself could amount to interference.

Why this matters in KZN

KwaZulu-Natal has the highest number of political killings in South Africa, often linked to internal battles within parties such as the ANC and Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP). The task team was created in 2018 to restore confidence in the state’s ability to bring perpetrators to justice, but critics argue that political meddling has stalled progress.

With elections approaching, public trust in law enforcement is under the spotlight. The fate of these 121 dockets will test whether the justice system can act independently or if political hands will continue to weigh down investigations.

Source: IOL

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