South Africa’s parliamentary inquiry into alleged corruption within the criminal justice system has formally submitted 120 written questions to President Cyril Ramaphosa, seeking detailed answers about his role in the disbanding of a high-profile task team on political killings.
The move marks a new phase in the investigation by the National Assembly’s ad hoc committee, which is examining claims that the December 2024 dissolution of the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT) may have been politically motivated. The questions focus on whether Ramaphosa authorised or was consulted about decisions that ultimately ended the unit’s mandate.
The inquiry has unfolded against a backdrop of heightened scrutiny of police leadership and political oversight in South Africa, where allegations of corruption and interference in law enforcement have repeatedly tested public trust in institutions.
Oversight and authority under scrutiny
The PKTT was established in 2018 by Ramaphosa to investigate politically related murders, particularly in KwaZulu-Natal, a province that has long experienced violence linked to local political rivalries. The unit operated under the supervision of an inter-ministerial committee (IMC) comprising the ministers of police, state security, defence, justice and correctional services.
In December 2024, then Police Minister Senzo Mchunu disbanded the task team. He later told the parliamentary committee that he had not consulted Ramaphosa before issuing the instruction. Mchunu said he acted on the basis of a police research study recommending that violent crime investigations be consolidated within the murder and robbery unit.
Members of Parliament are now asking whether Ramaphosa gave any directive to dissolve the IMC overseeing the task team, and whether the IMC itself continued into the seventh administration formed after the May 2024 general elections.
One of the written submissions asks: “If the IMC was disbanded, on what date was this done and on whose authority? Did the IMC continue into the 7th administration or did it lapse at the end of the 6th administration?”
The committee is also probing whether the absence of new appointment letters for ministers in the seventh administration created uncertainty about the IMC’s status. Mchunu has stated that he never received such a letter and that the committee was not established under the current administration.
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Allegations of unilateral action
The parliamentary investigation was prompted by testimony last July from KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, who alleged that the disbandment of the PKTT may have been politically motivated. He told lawmakers that the IMC had been established by Ramaphosa in 2018 and accused Mchunu of acting unilaterally without consultation or approval from the committee.
Mkhwanazi’s claims were reinforced by allegations from crime intelligence head Dumisani Khumalo, who suggested that criminal networks may have benefited from the task team’s dissolution. Both allegations have intensified scrutiny of the circumstances surrounding the decision, though no formal findings have yet been made by the parliamentary inquiry.
In his testimony, Mchunu rejected suggestions of impropriety. He said the task team had “outlived its function” and noted that political killings predated South Africa’s democratic transition in 1994. His position has been that restructuring law enforcement operations was an administrative decision aimed at improving efficiency.
Questions on presidential oversight
Among the 120 written questions sent to Ramaphosa are four from legal counsel assisting the committee, 102 from the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF), nine from the uMkhonto weSizwe party, 14 from the African National Congress (ANC), and seven from the Democratic Alliance (DA). The breadth of submissions reflects cross-party interest in clarifying the chain of command and oversight responsibilities.
Lawmakers have asked whether the president approved the continued existence of the PKTT and whether the absence of the IMC effectively shifted authority over the unit to the police minister.
Another question asks: “Does the President accept that the absence of appointment letters may have caused confusion?” The committee is also seeking clarity on what authority, if any, individual IMC members retained over the operational status of the task team.
The inquiry is expected to conclude in March, and Ramaphosa’s responses could shape its final findings. The outcome may have implications not only for individual officeholders but also for how executive oversight of law enforcement structures is interpreted in future administrations.
South Africa has faced recurring concerns about political interference in policing, particularly in provinces where intra-party rivalry has sometimes turned violent. While the PKTT was intended to address such crimes, its dissolution has raised broader questions about institutional continuity and accountability during transitions between administrations.
Ramaphosa is expected to submit his written replies before the committee finalises its report. Until then, the focus remains on clarifying the sequence of decisions that led to the task team’s closure — and on determining whether established oversight mechanisms functioned as intended.
Source: Mail & Guardian – Ad hoc committee on police corruption sends Ramaphosa 120 written questions
