General v Acting Minister in dockets battle

Revival of Political Killings Task Team sends politician into a tailspin

- BONGANI HANS

TENSIONS between Acting Police Minister Professor Firoz Cachalia and National Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola surfaced in public this week over the revival of the KwaZulu-Natal Political Killings Task Team’s investigation.

Cachalia expressed his displeasure in a statement issued on Friday regarding Masemola’s announcement that 121 dockets would soon be returned to the task team.

The now-suspended Police Minister, Senzo Mchunu, disbanded the team, which was formed in 2019 to investigate and execute arrests in political killings as part of implementing the Moerane Commission’s recommendations.

Cachalia indicated that Masemola revived the team’s investigation without consulting him, and that he had kept him in the dark about the status of the team.

In the statement, Cachalia is quoted as expressing concern about Masemola announcing the continuation of the team’s investigations instead of waiting for former Constitutional Court’s Judge Mbuyiseli Madlanga Judicial Commission of Inquiry to first investigate KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi’s political interference allegation.

"It is a concern, therefore, that steps are being taken in relation to this matter before the commission has had a chance to investigate the issues surrounding the task team.

"I have requested the National Commissioner to submit his report without further delay," read the statement.

The statement further stated that soon after being appointed as acting minister by President Cyril Ramaphosa on July 13, Cachalia asked Masemola to furnish him with a detailed report on the task team.

"A report which is yet to be submitted," the statement read.

Masemola said at the 27th Interpol African Region Conference in Cape Town this week that the team would resume its investigations and would have additional investigators.