Masemola wraps tense testimony at Madlanga Commission, exposing rift with police minister
National Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola has concluded his two-day testimony before the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry, delivering a scathing account of alleged political interference and corruption that has left South Africa’s criminal justice system reeling.
The Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Criminality, Political Interference, and Corruption in the Criminal Justice System, chaired by Constitutional Court Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga kicked off hearings last week at the Brigitte Mabandla Justice College.
Masemola’s appearance, spanning Monday and Tuesday, followed explosive claims by KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, who alleged deep-rooted collusion between politicians, police brass, prosecutors, and criminal syndicates.
In a bombshell revelation, Masemola accused Police Minister Senzo Mchunu, along with suspended KwaZulu-Natal Deputy Commissioner Shadrack Sibiya, businessman Brown Mogotsi, and alleged crime kingpin Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala, of plotting to disband the elite Political Killings Task Team (PKTT). The unit, hailed by Masemola as “unmatched” in tackling high-profile assassinations, had notched significant successes, including probing Gauteng cartels linked to murders and drugs. “They wanted to prevent the investigation against the cartels,” Masemola testified, claiming the group sought to shield criminal networks in the province.
The commissioner detailed a frosty dynamic with Mchunu, recounting how he learned of the PKTT’s abrupt disbandment via WhatsApp while on leave in December 2024, a move he deemed unlawful and a direct violation of Section 207 of the Constitution, which safeguards police operational independence. Masemola admitted he partially complied by halting new intakes but refused to fully dismantle the team, calling full defiance “career-limiting.”
He further stunned the panel by revealing Mchunu’s “visible anger” upon hearing of the PKTT’s progress on a new case, questioning why a minister would resent effective policing.
Masemola also alleged Sibiya pushed to control the Cold Case Unit, which handles probes like the 2014 Senzo Meyiwa murder, and objected to Crime Intelligence head Dumisani Khumalo leading the PKTT.
Critics, including criminologist Professor Mary de Haas, have long accused the PKTT of abuses like torture and political meddling, complaints Masemola dismissed as unfounded. The testimony has intensified scrutiny on Mchunu, who is on leave pending further probes, and amplified calls for systemic reform.
As the commission presses on with an interim report due in December – Masemola’s words echo Mkhwanazi’s warnings of a “protection racket” infiltrating law enforcement. For a nation grappling with rampant political violence, the inquiry’s findings could redefine accountability, or risk becoming another “costly illusion,” as one legal expert warned.
The hearings remain open to the public, broadcast live, underscoring President Cyril Ramaphosa’s pledge for transparency in rooting out justice system rot.