He is still on a special leave of absence, facing the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Criminality, Political Interference, and Corruption in Criminal Justice. On Tuesday, 2 December, Day 10 of the Ad Hoc Committee, Police Minister Senzo Mchunu spoke on the disbandment of the National Political Killings Task Team (NPKKT).
Mchunu was appointed as police minister in July 2024 and was placed on special leave by President Cyril Ramaphosa in July 2025.
He testified on the disbandment of the NPKKT in December 2024 and responded to allegations that he had links with tenderpreneur and organised crime accused Vuzimusi “Cat” Matlala and Brown Mogotsi.
Mchunu said the National Political Killings Task Team was never meant to be a permanent SAPS structure.
He noted it was established along with other specialised units and had been sanctioned by the then national police commissioner, Khehla Sitole, on 26 June 2019. It was an interim unit created for a specific mandate, making its eventual shutdown unavoidable.
One of the notable points Mchunu brought to light was that he was unaware of the Political Killings Task Team’s (PKTT) raid on the home of alleged drug kingpin and attempted murder-accused Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala in December last year. The team was searching for missing Centurion farmer Jerry Boshoga, who disappeared in November 2024, and the Police believed Matlala might have information that could help trace the farmer, who has still not been found.
Witness C informed the committee about a white sheet used in one of the ransom videos that was found manually hung at Matlala’s home, in a room used by a general worker.
“At no stage during my orientation or briefings was I informed of any operation resembling the event described. I’m jumping now to December 2024,” Mchunu said.
“At no stage was I briefed about that. No briefing was given to me about any arrest, operations, or technical deployment involving NPKTT during December. My initial period in the portfolio focused much more on organisational structures focused on governance. I must add, and systemic issues as well,” he told the panel.
Mchunu’s denial comes as he faces allegations that he attempted to disband the PKTT to shield criminal networks. The decision to disband the team caused a big dispute in late 2024 and 2025. It led to a parliamentary Ad Hoc committee inquiry and the Madlanga Commission. These are both looking into claims of police corruption and interference after KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi raised the red flags.
