Senzo Mchunu Admits That He Only Disbanded PKTT, States That He Lacked the Authority to Close Others

Published 4 Dec 2025

by Byron Pillay

3 min read

Police Minister Senzo Mchunu was asked about his decision to disband the Political Killings Task Team and not others
The minister admitted that he could not interfere with teams that were created by the National Police Commissioner
Judge Mbuyiseli Madlanga also quizzed Mchunu about whether he compared the PKTT's budget to other task teams

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Senzo Mchunu admitted that he only disbanded one task team out of 10, saying he didn't have the authority to close others. Image: Emmanuel Croset
Source: Getty Images

Briefly News journalist Byron Pillay has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He spent 10 years working for the Northern Natal Courier before transitioning to online journalism

GAUTENG – Senzo Mchunu has admitted before the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry that he only disbanded one task team, that being the Political Killings Task Team.

The Minister of Police, who is currently on leave, made the admission after being questioned by Judge Mbuyiseli Madlanga.

Mchunu was fielding questions from the commissioners on his second day of testimony at the Madlanga Commission, which is probing allegations of criminality, political interference, and corruption in the criminal justice system.

Mchunu admits to only disbanding one team

During an exchange with Mchunu, Judge Madlanga recalled that Lieutenant General Hilda Senthumule stated that there were 10 task teams. He then asked the minister how many of these were disbanded, to which Mchunu replied that it was only one.

He explained that he could not disband the others as they were created by the National Commissioner, and so they fell under the purview of the commissioner. He previously said that the PKTT was created through a political intervention, as part of the exercise of executive authority by the President, and so was considered to be interim in nature.

Justice Mbuyiseni Madlanga quizzed Senzo Mchunu about his decision to disband the PKTT. Image: Phill Magakoe
Source: Getty Images

Mchunu was also quizzed about what he would do if he received reports that a task team created by the National Commissioner was operating poorly. He stated that he would speak to the commissioner about it, admitting that if nothing was still done, he would go to the president with his concerns.

Mchunu admits he didn’t compare task team budgets

Mchunu was also asked whether he compared the PKTT’s budget to other task teams, as one of his reasons was that it was allegedly not financially viable. The minister admitted that he did not query whether the other task teams were spending more. When Judge Madlanga put to him that the other task teams could be spending more, Mchunu tried to argue that they could be spending less as well.

Judge Madlanga then had to again reiterate his point that the expenditure of the other task teams could well have been significantly higher than that of the PKTT, but Mchunu didn’t know because he didn’t check. The minister eventually conceded this point.

Mchunu said he was never accused of corruption

Briefly News reported that Mchunu made his first appearance before the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry.

During his testimony, he said that he was never accused of corruption throughout his career as a public servant.