Masemola claims Mchunu failed to consult him on PKTT disbandment
National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola returned to the witness stand before the Ad Hoc Committee to respond to questions and clarify certain issues on Tuesday.
Image: Zwelethemba Kostile / Parliament
National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola asserted on Tuesday that suspended Police Minister Senzo Mchunu failed to consult him regarding the disbandment of the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT).
In his second appearance before the Ad Hoc Committee since October 2025, Masemola emphasised that he and Mchunu had attended events and meetings together prior to the directive issued on December 31, 2024.
“It is still my evidence that the minister never consulted me about the directive,” he said.
“At no stage did the minister hint or indicate that there is this imminent disbandment of the PKTT. There was ample opportunity to discuss if there was an urgent need to disband the PKTT, and there was no discussion whatsoever.”
Masemola recounted a meeting called by Mchunu on December 24, 2024, that decided on conducting an audit into the awarding of the contract to attempted murder-accused Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala’s company, Medicare24.
The contract was subsequently cancelled in April 2025 after the internal audit found irregularities.
“In and after that meeting, there was no stage the minister spoke about the imminent disbandment of the PKTT.”
Masemola, who was on leave when Mchunu issued the directive, said he had neither known nor met Matlala when the contract was discussed.
He added that the mentioning of Matlala’s name at the meeting “did not mean anything at all”.
Masemola also told the Ad Hoc Committee of his several attempts to ask Mchunu for his reasons to disband the PKTT, but the minister kept requesting progress reports and presentations to be made at meetings.
Referring to one meeting in February, Masemola said Mchunu had indicated that one of the reasons was that there were no political killings.
“Political killings were pre-1994 and for now, there were just killings,” he said when quoting the suspended minister.
Masemola also said he had briefed President Cyril Ramaphosa, who “looked surprised because he did not know”.
“He did listen to me to what I was saying, and he said he will speak to the minister.”
Masemola also said it was after Matlala’s phone was confiscated and the PKTT went through his messages with North West businessman Brown Mogotsi and Mchunu’s chief of staff Cedrick Nkabinde that it was established the disbandment was a “planned thing”.
“That’s when we came to the conclusion that there is definitely a link between the disbandment, the directive, and what happened on the 6th. The aim was to prevent them from investigating Gauteng Counter-Intelligence cases.”
He added that he never alerted Mchunu to “the discovery” because “he never made time” to be briefed.
But Ramaphosa was briefed before he left for Brazil, and he asked that he be furnished with a report on his return.
He also confirmed that he had met Mkhwanazi and Crime Intelligence head Dumisani Khumalo, who had briefed him about the messages found in Matlala’s phone.
“We did not meet clandestinely. They came to brief me. I also wanted to brief the minister. He was not available until after July 6.”
Masemola added that Mkhwanazi had wanted to hold the press conference to report on the work of the PKTT, since there had been no public briefings since Mchunu took office.
He also said Mkhwanazi went overboard when he spoke about the matters he, as the national commissioner, was to report to Ramaphosa on his return from Brazil.
“He went overboard with everything.”
Masemola denied receiving money from Matlala arising from the tender awarded to his company.
“Probably he got it, I would love to have it,”’ he said in response to claims by Mogotsi.
He added that Mogotsi must come with evidence that he and former minister Bheki Cele plotted against Mchunu.
Responding to allegations by National Coloured Congress leader Fadiel Adams that Mkhwanazi held the press conference to prevent his arrest, he said he would not know.
“There is a quite a lot of people who peddle information.”
On the Crime Intelligence properties, Masemola said: “I can cleanly say there is no procurement irregularities in those properties.”
He denied that he targeted retired General Francinah Vuma for not abandoning some investigations in 2022.
He said disciplinary action against Vuma arose from a court ruling linked to the IPID investigation, and that she had resorted to provide a protected disclosure when asked to provide reasons why she should not be suspended.
Masemola added that he and other officers never raided Vuma’s office and confiscated her documents.
Instead, they found a police sergeant in her office shredding documents dating back to former national general Khehla Sitole’s time.