Police Minister Senzo Mchunu testifies at the Good Hope Chambers in Cape Town on 16 October 2025. Picture: Gallo Images/Brenton Geach This time last year, South Africans were on holiday, celebrating what was left of 2024, not knowing that 2025 would bring a total shake-up to the top ranks of law enforcement. The political killings task team (PKTT) is back in the spotlight, as South Africans mark a year since the letter that may have diminished their trust in suspended Police Minister Senzo Mchunu.
On 28 December, Mchunu and national police commissioner Fannie Masemola attended a funeral in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN). Masemola, who was on leave at the time, left the funeral unaware that Mchunu would issue a directive which would result in the establishment of a parliamentary ad hoc committee and the Madlanga Commission. As Masemola went home to enjoy the rest of his leave, Mchunu headed home and got straight down to business.
On 29 December 2024, activities slowed for Mchunu, giving him an opportunity to begin considering the future of the PKTT. At this point, Mchunu had not called a meeting to discuss the PKTT disbandment with his colleagues, including those directly involved in the team’s operations. “I am saying, after 28 December, I got more time when I got home to complete what I was developing after resting.
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I started summarising in my head and thinking what I would settle with finally, which then gave rise to me writing that letter on 31 December,” Mchunu explained to the ad hoc committee in October. “You don’t normally go to a funeral and pull people aside; that’s unnatural. It can happen only with pushed thinking that you could have pulled people aside, but naturally, the flow of things does not flow like that.
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