The South African Police Service SAPS National Police Commissioner, General Fannie Masemola, has denied authorising the disbandment of the Political Killings Task Team.
This directly contradicts recent comments by the Deputy National Police Commissioner for Crime Detection, Lieutenant-General Shadrack Sibiya.
In an interview with Newzroom Afrika on Sunday 6 July, Sibiya claimed Masemola had written to him telling me what he wants done and by when with regard to disbanding the Task Team.
This also involved sending certain dockets to the SAPS detectives division, he added. The Minister of Police Senzo Mchunu communicated to the National Commissioner, Sibiya said.
The next level is to me, to say, this is the environment, I want this done as per this Ministers instruction, by this date, from the National Commissioner.
Fannie Masemola denies Sibiyas claimHowever, Masemola has denied issuing a letter to disband the Task Team.
"I am sure you have not seen any letter that I have signed to close the unit. I have not signed it, and I don't think anybody has ever seen a letter where I have signed off the closure of the unit," he said at a media briefing on Wednesday 9 July.
The controversy follows KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazis claim on Sunday that Mchunus decision to disband the Task Team may have been influenced by a crime syndicate in Gauteng.
On the 26th March 2025, a total of 121 case dockets under investigation were taken away from the Task Team as directed by Sibiya acting on the instruction of the Minister of Police to disband the Task Team, Mkhwanazi claimed.
This was done without the authority of the National nor the Provincial Commissioner.