The political killings task team dockets will be submitted to the Madlanga commission of inquiry in the format that the commission requires.
This is to ensure the integrity of the dockets and enable the commission of inquiry into allegations of interference in the criminal justice system to thoroughly investigate all the matters related to its terms of reference.
This was contained in a joint statement issued by acting police minister Firoz Cachalia and national police commissioner Gen Fannie Masemola on Tuesday after they met on Monday. Cachalia had called for a meeting with the police commissioner to clarify and affirm their respective roles, with Cachalia having executive authority and Masemola having operational authority.
Last week, Masemola announced that the 121 dockets that were removed from the KwaZulu-Natal political killings task team will be processed and sent back to the province for the team to continue with its work.
In July, KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi said the case dockets were removed from the task team and handed to the office of the deputy commissioner for crime detection, Lt-Gen Shadrack Sibiya. He alleged Sibiya obstructed justice, stalled investigations into political assassinations and organised crime and shielded politically connected suspects by taking control of the dockets without the authority of the national or provincial commissioner.
After Masemola's announcement on Thursday, Cachalia issued a statement saying the political killings task team was at the centre of the allegations made by Mkhwanazi and will be dealt with by the Madlanga commission. Cachalia also said it was a concern that steps were being taken in relation to the dockets before the commission has had a chance to investigate the issues surrounding the task team.
In the joint statement on Tuesday, Cachalia and Masemola said if there were matters in these dockets requiring urgent further criminal investigations or prosecution, the police service would advise the commission accordingly.
“The SAPS will also act with speed where the commission refers new matters to it for urgent investigation in line with its terms of reference,” the joint statement read.
The parties said a key outcome was that Cachalia and Masemola agreed to the necessity of maintaining a professional, collegial and respectful relationship. “Importantly, that there be prior consultation and regular reporting on important matters in the public and policy domains.”
Cachalia and Masemola agreed there was a need to strengthen the capacity of the police service to investigate the killings of councillors, public officials, whistle-blowers and others such as professional auditors who were vital in the daily struggle against corruption and organised crime.
“This capacity must be strengthened across the country where needed so that those who threaten our national security have nowhere to hide.”
They agreed to ensure that the police service and all its members supported the work of the Madlanga commission and upheld its integrity.
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