Police boss Masemola looked to Ramaphosa for help over minister’s ‘unlawful’ order

NATIONAL police commissioner Fannie Masemola told the Madlanga Judicial Commission of Inquiry that he reached out to President Cyril Ramaphosa, seeking intervention over what he deemed an "unlawful" directive by suspended Police Minister Senzo Mchunu to disband the Political Killings Task Team.

- RAPULA MOATSHE

However, Masemola said while the matter was discussed between Ramaphosa and Mchunu, he did not get clear details on their conversation.

Masemola was testifying yesterday at the Commission probing allegations of political interference in the criminal justice system at the Brigitte Mabandla Justice College in Pretoria.

He told the Commission that he approached Ramaphosa, given the fact that Mchunu was “instructing and not soliciting views” from the police leadership regarding the task team' disbandment.

“T spoke to the President on February 1, 2025. During this meeting I mentioned the minister's directive to disband such a successful team and the president told me that he would speak to the minister,” he said.

Masemola revealed that Mchunu's directive to disband the task team, established in 2018 to tackle politically-related killings in KwaZulu-Natal, lacked clear reasons and came despite the team's success in securing convictions.

“The President did come back to me to say he talked to Mchunu but did not tell me about the outcome,” he said.