By Mapaballo Borotho
- SAPS has launched two specialised units in Gauteng to fight politically motivated killings and organised crime.
- The Political Killings Task Team (PKTT) will investigate political assassinations, while the second unit targets kidnapping, extortion, and crimes against infrastructure.
- Similar efforts in KwaZulu-Natal show a national push to address politically motivated killings and organised criminal networks.
The South African Police Service (SAPS) has established two specialised units to tackle high-priority crime threats and politically motivated killings in Gauteng.
Announced by the Ministry of Police on Friday, 06 March 2026, the units include the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT), which will investigate political assassinations and politically motivated assassinations of government officials.
“The Political Killings Task Team in Gauteng is adequately capacitated and comprises skilled members drawn from various disciplines within SAPS. These members bring a wealth of expertise and vast investigative experience, ensuring the unit is well equipped to handle intricate and high-profile cases,” said Police Ministry spokesperson Kamogelo Mogotsi.
The second unit will focus on crimes related to kidnapping, extortion, and offences targeting infrastructure projects.
“These crimes have increasingly been linked to organised criminal networks that seek to undermine economic development and public safety,” Mogotsi added.
A similar Political Killings Task Team in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) has already investigated several politically motivated assassinations and has been yielding expected results.
Last year, National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola acknowledged significant progress made by the task team which investigates political killings in KZN.
Masemola told the media that the team has made strides in recent years, especially in KwaZulu-Natal.
This comes after a series of arrests, including two suspects linked to the murder of DA councillor Nhlalayenza Ndlovu, and the recent apprehension of a municipal manager accused of masterminding the killing of ANC Youth League leader Sindiso Magaqa.
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