KZN police boss rejects argument that task team was a political initiative

KWAZULU-NATAL police commissioner, Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, yesterday dismissed a suggestion that the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT) was a political initiative and that the decision to disband it was a lawful political decision.

- MAYIBONGWE MAQHINA

KWAZULU-NATAL police commissioner, Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, appears before the parliamentary inquiry into allegations on security matters on the first day of public hearings. I ARMAND HOUGH Independent Newspapers

(ARMAND HOUGH Independent Newspapers)

Replying during his testimony on the first day of the parliamentary inquiry into allegations on security matters, Mkhwanazi said such an argument "won't stand".

"I will say they are wrong because a minister of police is not a member of a political party. The minister of police is an executive member that is appointed in terms of the law of the Republic (and) is a Cabinet member responsible for policing," he said.

"I don’t think the legislature cares as to which political party the member belongs to. To say it was a political decision, what if the minister is not a politician. I don't think that argument will stand," Mkhwanazi said.