A parliamentary inquiry into the disbanding of the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT) has revealed a stark divide, with Patriotic Alliance MP Ashley Sauls throwing his weight behind the controversial decision by suspended Police Minister Senzo Mchunu, citing exorbitant costs and questionable value.
The debate shifted from pure politics to a cost-benefit analysis as Sauls presented a stark financial picture. He revealed the PKTT’s latest budget request was R94.8 million for just 20 members—a cost of approximately R65,000 per officer per month. Sauls argued that this massive expenditure, confined to KwaZulu-Natal, did not translate into proportional value for the South African Police Service (SAPS) or the nation.
“When I look at the money spent on the PKTT… I say, stand by your conviction,” Sauls stated, directly addressing Mchunu. He criticized the budget allocation, suggesting funds were directed more towards “protection, laundering assets, and other activities” rather than core investigations.
Minister Mchunu defended his decision, agreeing that the unit’s value had “decreased over time” and that its geographic limitation and high cost made it unsustainable.
However, the move remains shrouded in allegations of high-level corruption. The inquiry itself was established after KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi accused Mchunu of being part of a “sophisticated crime syndicate” that interferes with law enforcement. Mchunu’s defense was further weakened when he admitted he had no audio recording of alleged threats from Mkhwanazi, despite previously suggesting otherwise.
The scene now presents a complex puzzle: is the disbanding of the PKTT a hard-nosed, fiscally responsible decision, as Sauls and Mchunu claim, or is it a calculated move by an alleged criminal network to dismantle a unit that stood in its way?
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