PRETORIA - KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi has informed the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry that the attempt to disband the province's Political Killings Task Team (PKTT) was, in fact, a target meant for another team.
According to Mkhwanazi, his own investigations revealed that the real target was the Gauteng Counter-Intelligence operation led by provincial Crime Intelligence head Dumisani Khumalo.
Khumalo, alongside six others, was arrested in June this year in connection with fraud and corruption relating to the appointment of an unqualified' civilian to a senior post within the SAPS, who has since been identified as Dineo Mokwele.
Mkhwanazi testified that the magistrate who presided over Khumalo’s case is central to efforts to weaken the Gauteng unit through a judgment granting bail to five of the accused, as well as Khumalo's bail with questionable conditions.
“One of the strange things that happened involves a magistrate who's presiding over a case that the members of the crime Intelligence are arrested on, imposed a very bizarre bail condition on those members.
“And the bail condition that is imposed by the magistrate in that case against these members from crime intelligence said explicitly that these members who are arrested for facilitating the appointment of Mokwele, are barred from going to any premises of Crime Intelligence anywhere in the Republic of South Africa,”
Mkhwanazi says this was not a state request but rather a decision taken by the magistrate.
He described it as a calculated move to cripple the Gauteng counter-intelligence operation, which had been investigating a powerful drug cartel.
“This is the same team that is busy with the operation of the Gauteng Counter-Intelligence operation. They are barred by a magistrate from getting involved or entering any premises of Crime Intelligence.
“So by default, it means the operation that they are busy with against the drug cartel must stop immediately,” Mkhwanazi testified.
“The operation stopped while the members were trying to work, but are being frustrated,” Mkhwanazi added.