'Unfair' criticism of national police commissioner over task team matter

THE CRITICISM directed at National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola over his failure to push back against the Minister of Police regarding the disbandment of the political task team has been described as unfair and tantamount to punishing those who try to do right.

- THAMI MAGUBANE

Political analysts and government experts have stated that the criticism aimed at the commissioner by a member of the Ad Hoc committee could stem from a lack of understanding of how the government works. DA MP Advocate Glynnis Breytenbach questioned the national commissioner on his failure to “tell the minister to go to hell” when Minister Senzo Mchunu issued a letter disbanding the Political Killings Task Team.

When asked by The Mercury yesterday about the dynamics that govern the relationship between the commissioner and the minister, she declined to comment further on the matter. During the Ad Hoc committee, Breytenbach pressed Masemola on why he did not tell Minister Mchunu that he was out of line in ordering the closure of the task team. “He can't insist; you call the shots. If he insists, you should tell him to go to hell. Why didn't you?” she asked.

The National Commissioner stated, “Mchunu is the Minister of Police. I am the National Commissioner; I am subject to his direction. I consider him to be my boss.”

To which Breytenbach retorted, “The National Commissioner thinks that the minister is his boss? Wow.”