Former Western Cape Police Commissioner Defends Fannie Masemola’s Decision To Release 121 Dockets

• The former Western Cape Police commissioner, Dr Lennit Max, stood in support of National Commissioner Fannie Masemola's recent decision
• Masemola returned the 121 dockets that were removed from the Political Killings Task Team in KwaZulu-Natal in March 2025
• Max said that Masemola's actions would not undermine the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry, following backlash from President Cyril Ramaphosa and Police Minister Firoz Cachalia

With 10 years’ experience, Tebogo Mokwena, a current affairs writer for Briefly News, provided insights into the criminal justice system, crime statistics, commissions of inquiry, and high-profile cases in South Africa at Daily Sun.

WESTERN CAPE —Western Cape's former Provincial Commissioner, Dr Lennit Max, said that National Commissioner General Fannie Masemola's decision on the 121 dockets taken from the Political Killings Task Team would not disrupt the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry.

According to IOL, Max said the dockets did not affect the commission of inquiry and have nothing to do with it. He said the Commission of Inquiry's task is to investigate whether there was interference in the Task Team's operation. Max said that Masemola's duty is to make sure that the documents are investigated.

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President Ramaphosa under fire for expressing upset over return of 121 police dockets

Max said that the dockets must be investigated and noted that Police Minister Firoz Cachalia may have grabbed the wrong end of the stick. He further said that if the minister intends to block the dockets from being investigated, that would constitute interference.

Ramaphosa and Cachalia react to dockets' return

President Cyril Ramaphosa reacted to Masemola's decision to return the 121 dockets to the Political Killings Task Team. Ramaphosa allegedly contacted Cachalia and expressed his concerns over Masemola's actions. The Presidency's spokesperson, Vincent Magwenya, noted that SAPS leadership must cooperate with the commission and Cachalia.

Cachalia was also unhappy with Masemola's decision, which he announced on 28 August 2025 at the sidelines of the 27th Interpol Regional Conference in Cape Town. Cachalia said that the dockets were crucial to the work of the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry.

A background of the 121 dockets

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KwaZulu-Natal's provincial commissioner General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi held a press briefing on 6 July in Durban. He accused suspended police minister Senzo Mchunu and suspended Deputy National Commissioner General Shadrack Sibiya of interfering with the Political Killings Task Team's work. He alleged that Sibiya ordered its disbandment in December 2024 and ordered that he 121 dockets be placed on his desk in March.

South Africans react

Netizens commenting on Facebook discussed the dockets and Ramaphosa and Cachalia's reactions.

Norman Dent said:

"Cyril was hoping to have those files buried."

Philippe Sydney Loionnet said:

"I hope the documents were scanned and stored digitally. This is a case of deliberate interference by politicians."

Marius Joubet said:

"Just give the commission copies of the dockets to work with."

Mzilankatha Wakubo said:

"Dockets must be returned where they belong."

EFF slams Firoz Cachalia

In a related article, Briefly News reported that the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) accused Cachalia of political interference. This was after Cacvhalia reacted negatively to Masemola's decision to return the 12 dockets.

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SA concerned over National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola’s controversial docket decision

The Red Berets said that the interference will embolden assassins who rely on political shielding to avoid justice. The party also said Cachalia's stance undermines the police's investigations.

Source: Briefly News