Suspended Police Minister Senzo Mchunu Testifies Before Parliament on Political Killings Task Team

image: Internet

by Kelebogile Matlou

Suspended Police Minister Senzo Mchunu appeared in Parliament today to testify before the Ad Hoc Committee on his knowledge of the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT) and his previous working relationship with General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi. The hearing, which took place in Cape Town, focused on political violence in KwaZulu-Natal and the government’s response to it between 2013 and 2016. 

During the testimony, Mchunu said that he was aware of the Political Killings Task Team and frequently saw reports on its activities in Cabinet meetings. He explained that similar teams had been constituted in 2014, 2016, and 2018 to address the province’s continuous political assassinations.

Mchunu told the committee that, while he was aware of General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi’s role in assembling the task team, he had not met him personally during his time as premier. He underlined that the PKTT was the result of a collaborative effort involving multiple departments and law enforcement personnel, rather than the work of a single individual. 

“It was not a one-man show,” Mchunu said, adding that the team’s goal was to improve investigations into politically motivated murders that had destabilized KwaZulu-Natal.