Police Minister Senzo Mchunu has sent crime intelligence boss Dumisani Khumalo packing over the latter's decision not to disband the political killings task team.
Mchunu ordered Khumalo to disband the unit in December last year, following several complaints - including that some members of the unit had gone rogue and were themselves involved in some of the crimes they were supposed to investigate and solve.
The unit was set up by Mchunu's predecessor Bheki Cele in 2019, after a directive was issued to the national commissioner of police following the Moerane Commission report into political killings.
Mchunu's letter to the national commissioner dated 31 December 2024 reads in part:
My observation in this regard as indicated above is that further existence of this team is no longer required nor is it adding any value to policing in South Africa. I, therefore, direct that the Political Killings Task Team be disestablished immediately.
Mchunu had given police commissioner Fannie Masemola until 20 January to provide a final and closing report that was to be submitted to the ministry.
City Press has learnt that Khumalo, who previously headed the unit tasked with stopping, investigating, and resolving unresolved murders of politicians in the country, especially in KwaZulu-Natal, defied the directive.
According to three sources within the security cluster, the minister met with Khumalo and other senior members on Friday in Cape Town, during which Khumalo presented a reduced number of officers in the unit to conclude some of the outstanding cases.
The source added:
The minister told Khumalo to bring the disbandment report not the restructured unit with few members remaining in the unit. The minister felt undermined that months after he ordered the unit to be closed, Khumalo was seemingly defying him.
According to another source, the relationship between Khumalo and the minister has been a rocky one, with the minister having asked Masemola to suspend the crime intelligence head pending an investigation into several allegations of wrongdoing.
Another source added: "The minister is of the view that both Masemola and Khumalo were undermining him because they were appointed by his predecessor Bheki Cele. The minister has also complained about not receiving detailed reports on some of the developments, including the purchase of a hotel which houses members of crime intelligence, the political killings task team as well as Gauteng Counter intelligence."
The minister's directive comes as the Inspector-General of Intelligence Imtiaz Fazel probes the R22.7 million purchase of a boutique hotel. This establishment in Pretoria North was bought using the secret services account funds.
City Press learnt on Friday that Fazel demanded answers as to why Khumalo, the unit's chief financial officer Philani Lushaba, head of intelligence and analysis Nozipho Madondo and Gauteng crime intelligence head Josias Lekalakala did not cooperate with the investigation.
One source said: "The OIGI (Office of the Inspector-General of Intelligence) was not happy that its oversight has been obstructed by the officers under the pretext that the procurement was top secret."
Police spokesperson Athlenda Mathe said the police service will not be drawn into commenting on allegations.
