NPA KZN Regional Head Says That She Was Never Informed About Disbandment of PKTT

• The KwaZulu-Natal Head of the National Prosecuting Authority, Elaine Harrison, said that she was not informed about the disbanding of the Political Killings task Team
• Harrison was the fourth witness to testify at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry's investigation into the infiltration of the criminal justice system
• Harrison also indicated that she learned of the disbandment on social media and not through any formal channel

With 10 years’ experience, Tebogo Mokwena, Briefly News’ Deputy Head of the Current Affairs desk, South Africa, provided insights into the criminal justice system, crime statistics, commissions of inquiry, and high-profile cases in South Africa at Daily Sun.

PRETORIA, GAUTENG — The KwaZulu-Natal head of the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), Advocate Elaine Harrison, said that the establishment of the Political Killings Task Team alarmed her. She testified at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry on 26 September 2025 that she only heard of it on social media.

Harrison taught at the Brigitte Mabandla Justice College in Tshewane. This is where the Commission of Inquiry's public hearings are being held. She said that she learned of the disbandment on social media on 3 January 2025. She also said that she was frustrated when she received a letter to remove the 121 dockets from the PKTT.

No formal communication: Harrison

Harrison said that there had been no formal communication about the disestablishment of the PKTT. She said that in the letter she received from Provincial Commissioner General Nhlangla Mkhwanazi, he did not address the disbandment of the Political Killings Task Team. She noted that a dedicated prosecutorial team was provided to address all the challenges that were raised in responding to the work of the task team.

"News of the disestablishment emerged at the time that all of the work that had been put in was clearly bearing fruit and the coordination was producing the desired results," she said.

Since the beginning of the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry on 17 September, Mkhwanazi, National Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola, and South African Police Service's Head of Governance, Legislation and Police General Petronella Van Rooyen testified about the Political Killings Task Team. Each shared insight into the disbandment of the PKTT.

What you need to know about the PKTT

• Masemola said that Mchunu alleged that President Cyril Ramaphosa approved the disbandment of the Political Killings Task Team
• Masemola said that Mchunu dismissed the political killings and said that they were just murders and no longer a thing after 1994
• Van Rooyen said that Mchunu did not have the power to disband the Political Killings Task Team and acted unlawfully
• Van Rooyen also said that Mchunu had no power to instruct Sibiya, as Sibiya took his orders from Masemola
• The letter, which Mchunu reportedly wrote to disband the Political Killings Task Team, went viral on social media

Shadrack Sibiya's letter goes viral

In a related article, Briefly News reported that the letter that Sibiya reportedly wrote about the disbandment of the PKTT went viral. This was after Mchunu's letter was also publicised.

Sibiya's letter was written in April. In it, he directs the Division Commander of Crime Intelligence to ensure that the Task Team is disbanded by the end of April.

Source: Briefly News