Crime Intelligence head Lt-Gen Dumisani Khumalo has dismissed claims that the political killings task team (PKTT) has been operating without a legal mandate since 2022.
Khumalo was answering questions from members of the parliamentary ad hoc committee on Friday regarding the contentious issue, drawing on his experience as the project leader of the PKTT.
The status of the team has been a major point of conflict in the hearings. Suspended police minister Senzo Mchunu previously testified that the formation of the task team was intended to be a temporary measure.
Mchunu claimed that despite various extensions, no formal authorisation was granted after 2022, meaning any expenditure incurred by the team after that date was irregular.
Mchunu used this as a primary justification for his decision to disband the team in December 2024 — a move he made without consulting key PKTT leadership.
Violence monitor and researcher Mary de Haas, who has been accused of influencing Mchunu’s directive to disband the task team, alleged abuse by members of the unit against suspects they were investigating and gross wastage of resources.
During a cross-examination session on Friday, IFP MP Albert Mncwango referenced the minister’s earlier testimony, asking Khumalo: “Is the minister aware of the extension of the PKTT term? Did he come here and lie under oath?”
Khumalo responded that the narrative used to justify the unit’s disbandment was dishonest.
“We are convinced that all reasons put forward for disbanding the task team are not true,” Khumalo said.
“There is no honesty in those claims. The allegations of unlawful operations after 2022 are unfounded. There are documents, including information notes and approvals, that carry the deputy national commissioner’s signature.
“It cannot be true that the PKTT was operating unlawfully after 2022.”
ANC MP Mdumiseni Ntuli also questioned Khumalo about the alleged mismanagement of funds. Mchunu had previously cited severe budget constraints as another reason for shutting down the unit.
SAPS CFO Lt-Gen Puleng Dimpane provided the committee with the official figures, stating that the PKTT cost the SAPS budget R435m between 2018 and September 2025. She noted that a significant portion of this expenditure was driven by high overtime costs.
Khumalo defended the spending, explaining that overtime payments fluctuated annually based on the complexity and volume of the cases the team was required to investigate.
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