By Dylan Bettencourt
- Cassel Mathale says the police crisis could have been avoided if Senzo Mchunu had met with KZN police commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi.
- The deputy minister says he was not part of Mchunu’s decision to close the Political Killings Task Team.
Deputy Police Minister Cassel Mathale says the problems in the police could have been avoided if suspended police minister Senzo Mchunu had agreed to meet with KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi.
Mathale told Parliament on Tuesday that the police are in crisis because of poor communication, pride and bad decisions made at the top.
He said Mchunu’s decision to close the Political Killings Task Team without talking to anyone caused confusion and anger inside the police. “If Mchunu had granted Mkhwanazi the meeting, we wouldn’t be here now,” Mathale said.
The task team was set up to deal with political killings in KwaZulu-Natal. It was closed earlier this year after Mchunu said it was not properly authorised. But Mathale disagreed, saying there was nothing illegal about the task team and that it was doing important work.
Mathale also revealed that he was not included in Mchunu’s decision to shut it down. “The team should have been reviewed, not closed,” he said.
He told MPs that the lack of communication between Mchunu, Mkhwanazi and national police commissioner Fannie Masemola has made the crisis worse. “We must learn to talk to one another. That is how we fix the police,” he said.
Mathale said the police are struggling but not beyond repair. “There are problems, yes, but most officers are doing their jobs honestly. We can still fix this organisation,” he said.
Meanwhile, National Coloured Congress MP Fadiel Adams has opened perjury charges against Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi.
The charges come from Mkhwanazi’s earlier testimony before Parliament’s ad hoc committee, where he claimed that former police minister Bheki Cele leaked confidential bank details to businessman Vusimusi “Cat” Matlala. Mkhwanazi has since withdrawn those claims.
Adams opened the perjury case at Cape Town Central Police Station on Tuesday. “This is about cleaning up the police. If a man makes accusations, they must be true,” he told News24.
Police spokesperson Sergeant Wesley Twigg confirmed that a perjury case has been opened and will be investigated in the Western Cape.
Pictured above: Deputy Police Minister Cassel Mathale.
Image source: Cassel Mathale
