Among the 121 political killings tasks team (PKTT) dockets that were gathering “dust” at the office of the national office of crime detection for four months after being removed from KwaZulu-Natal is the case of Namhla Mtwa, from the Eastern Cape, who was shot nine times in 2022.
Mtwa, 35, was returning home from work in April 2022 when she was shot. It was alleged at the time that Mtwa had been in an abusive relationship. Her murder made headlines across the country, resulting in a big march held in the city to protest her death.
Testifying at the Madlanga commission, head component of serious and violent crime Maj-Gen Mary Motsepe said Mtwa’s case was investigated by her office initially and taken to the PKTT in October 2023.
When they were supposed to do the takedown [effect arrest], he interdicted again this year; the docket was recalled by Shadrack Sibiya
— Maj-Gen Mary Motsepe
“Gen [Dumisani] Khumalo explained to the sister of the deceased that they have identified the motive and they were supposed to go through with the takedown of the suspects.
“The target applied for an interdict against the investigation, and it was dismissed this year in January. When they were supposed to do the takedown [effect arrest], he interdicted again this year; the docket was recalled by Shadrack Sibiya,” she said.
Motsepe told the commission she does not know the status of the case at the moment. She also told the commission that three alleged hitmen were killed, but she did not give the specifics.
It has been reported previously in the media that Mtwa’s ex-boyfriend, Mthatha businessman Major Mfesana Bhekizulu, filed court papers after they took him for interrogation in relation to the murder of Mtwa. He claimed that he had been abducted. However, his case was dismissed.
KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi previously said the dockets were taken from the KZN political killings task team to the office of the suspended deputy commissioner, where they were gathering dust.
Mkhwanazi said Sibiya wanted the dockets because he thought the team was investigating criminal cartels that he allegedly benefits from.
In her testimony, Motsepe told the commission that the dockets came to Pretoria for auditing purposes and were supposed to be taken back to the PKTT immediately after.
The dockets arrived in Pretoria in March and returned to the PKTT in August.
Commissioner Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga asked Motsepe if she would admit that if even a general worker had picked up the dockets and dusted them off every day, they would still be gathering dust because they were never investigated.
Motsepe’s response was, “I will accept that, commissioner.”
She said after the dockets were audited, she inspected them and identified several shortcomings, such as prosecutors’ instructions being defied.
“Twenty-three suspects were identified by witnesses, but these suspects were not arrested. One case was withdrawn by a witness because a suspect was released on bail and [the] witness feared for their life.
“Four cases were found nolle prosequi [charges were dropped] because the public prosecutor’s instructions were not complied with. In one case, the suspects were identified during an identity parade and were not arrested.
“In one docket a suspect was arrested without the prosecutor’s instruction in the docket,” she said.
Motsepe said she did not agree with the disbanding of the PKTT before the local government elections to be held next year because of the violence that usually precedes the polls.
“It is a well-known fact that KZN has the highest incidence of political killings, and there is usually a spike in political killings before elections.”
Sowetan
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