By Dylan Bettencourt
- Police Minister Senzo Mchunu admits he shut down the political killings task team, but says he told the national police commissioner in writing.
- Mchunu hits back at MK Party challenge, saying he followed proper procedures and the national commissioner never objected to his decision.
Police Minister Senzo Mchunu has admitted he shut down the political killings task team, but says he followed the proper process and didn’t do it secretly.
In court papers filed on Wednesday, Mchunu hit back at allegations made by the MK Party, which is challenging President Cyril Ramaphosa’s decision to put him on special leave and replace him with Professor Firoz Cachalia.
The MK Party is also fighting the president’s move to set up a judicial commission into explosive claims made by KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi. Those claims suggest that Mchunu, some police officers and even judges may have been part of organised crime.
Mchunu says the accusation that he secretly or unilaterally disbanded the task team is a “misrepresentation of reality”. He admits he told national police commissioner Fannie Masemola in writing that the team was no longer useful, and Masemola never objected.
“If he didn’t agree, he never told me,” Mchunu said, attaching their correspondence as proof, TimesLIVE reported.
His defence is that he followed proper procedures by informing the national commissioner in writing, rather than acting in secret as his critics claim.
On the accusation that he lied to Parliament, Mchunu also hit back, saying he never denied knowing Brown Mogotsi; he just said they weren’t associates. He explained the difference: a “comrade” is someone in the same party, not a close business partner.
“If anyone had directly asked me if I knew Mogotsi, I would’ve said yes,” Mchunu said, adding that he’s known him since 2017.
He also defended Ramaphosa’s right to place him on leave. “It would be absurd,” he said, “to suggest that the president can fire ministers but not put them on leave while serious allegations are being investigated.”
Mchunu insists he did nothing wrong and says suspending someone as a precaution doesn’t mean they’re guilty.
Pictured above: Police Minister Senzo Mchunu.
Image source: @Senzo_Mchunu_
