Some political parties fear that the Madlanga commission might not be effective in rooting out corruption in the police service.
The uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) party has accused the government of tampering with police investigations into political killings.
This comes after national police commissioner Fannie Masemola and Police Minister Firoz Cachalia agreed to send copies of 121 dockets to the KwaZulu-Natal political killings task team.
Most of these dockets contain investigations into the murders and attempted murders of councillors, traditional leaders and other public figures.
However, MK party spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela said there is no need for the police commissioner to hand over the copies of the dockets to the Madlanga commission.
“It is not the job of Ramaphosa and his handpicked puppet Cachalia to interfere in live investigations, strip the police of their mandate and hide evidence in a commission that reports to the very politicians implicated in the alleged crimes,” Ndhlela said.
KZN marred by political killings
“This is a textbook case of executive overreach, abuse of power and political tampering with justice.”
Ndhlela said political killings in KwaZulu-Natal have been a matter of concern for decades. He said police should be given the opportunity to investigate the cases and give the affected parties closure.
“Let us be clear, the 121 dockets represent the blood of our people. They represent communities ravaged by political assassinations, families robbed of their loved ones, including traditional leaders assassinated, and a nation terrorised into silence,” he said.
Ndhlela said diverting copies of these dockets creates an opportunity for politicians to tamper with investigations.
“They are shielding their political allies, delaying justice indefinitely and making a mockery of the rule of law,” he said.
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PSA supports Masemola’s decision
In a statement on Tuesday, the Public Servants Association (PSA) said it supported the decision to hand over the original dockets back to the political killings task team.
“These dockets have been held at the South African Police Service (Saps) head office for over five months, without significant progress.
“Meanwhile, those responsible for these heinous crimes remain at large, continuing to threaten the safety of South African communities.
“The PSA affirms the importance of maintaining oversight and integrity in such sensitive investigations.
“The PSA, however, believes that the national police commissioner’s decision reflects a commitment to swift justice and operational effectiveness,” said the union.
The PSA believes that the KZN political killings task team has a proven track record in handling complex investigations.
“It possesses the local intelligence, contextual insight and investigative capability needed to expedite progress on these cases.
“The police commissioner’s action should not be interpreted as a withdrawal from accountability, but rather as a strategic redeployment of resources to ensure that justice is not delayed or denied,” the PSA said.
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