Embattled police minister Senzo Mchunu opened his evidence at the Madlanga commission by stating that he had never been accused of corruption before July 6.
This was the day that KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi had a press conference claiming that Mchunu is allegedly involved with a criminal syndicate that has infiltrated law enforcement and intelligence services.
“I have never been accused of corruption, not once,” said Mchunu at the commission.
“This is the first time that I get accused of such, as alleged particularly on 6 July,” said Mchunu, who arrived at the hearing with a legal team that included Adv Thembeka Ngcukaitobi.
Mkhwanazi has accused Mchunu of being influenced by criminal cartels to disband the political killings task team (PKTT) as they thought it was investigating them after the raids that took place at two alleged cartel members, Katiso “Kt” Molefe and Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala, on December 6 last year.
However, Mchunu said in his testimony that he was never briefed about any raid “or any operation resembling what can be known as the December 6 raid”.
Mchunu also said the PKTT was not a permanent structure of the SAPS and had not been budgeted for. Its budget had to be taken from various units.
“Government projects are time-bound; they don’t run indefinitely,” he said.
He also said the PKKT would have been dissolved as far back as 2024, as it would not have co-existed with other specialised units, saying that would have been an unnecessary duplication.
The hearing continues.
Sowetan