Ramaphosa Rebukes Suspended Police Minister Over Unauthorized Disbandment of Political Killings Task Team

President Ramaphosa criticizes suspended Minister Mchunu for disbanding the Political Killings Task Team without consultation. Read the full editorial report.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 18, 2026, 4:21 PM EDT

Source: The information in this article was sourced from Eyewitness News

Executive Contradiction of Ministerial Claims

President Cyril Ramaphosa has issued a significant written rebuke to suspended Police Minister Senzo Mchunu, detailing a profound lack of consultation regarding the dissolution of the Political Killings Task Team, or PKTT. In a formal submission to Parliament’s ad hoc committee on police corruption, the President addressed a controversial directive that has sparked a constitutional and operational crisis. This official account directly contradicts previous testimony provided by Mchunu, who had claimed the President was both informed of and supportive of the decision. Ramaphosa’s statement clarifies that the move was an independent action by the minister that bypassed the established chain of command within the executive branch.

Dissatisfaction Voiced in High Level Meeting

The President detailed a specific meeting held in February 2025 where he explicitly conveyed his displeasure to Mchunu regarding the unilateral disbandment. According to the submission, Ramaphosa made it clear that he expected to be consulted on any decision that fundamentally alters the investigation of political assassinations. The President’s testimony portrays a minister who acted outside the bounds of traditional administrative transparency, prompting a formal demand from the presidency to be kept abreast of all future developments impacting these sensitive cases. This revelation underscores a period of internal friction between the head of state and the ministry responsible for national security.

Legal Authority and Administrative Boundaries

A central theme of the President’s submission is the clarification of legal authority over police specialized units. Ramaphosa asserted that the power to disband or reorganize the PKTT should have remained with National Commissioner Fannie Masemola, rather than the political head of the department. By categorizing the decision as an administrative function rather than a policy directive, the President highlighted a perceived overreach by the suspended minister. This stance aligns the presidency with the professional leadership of the South African Police Service, suggesting that the minister’s intervention was an irregular intrusion into the technical operations of law enforcement.