Senzo Mchunu Defends Disbanding Of PKTT, Says He Was Appointed For “Honesty, Not Sentiment”

Suspended Police Minister Senzo Mchunu has called on South Africans to move past emotion and sensational reactions to his decision to instruct the disbandment of the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT).

Mchunu explained his reasoning before the Madlanga Commission in Pretoria, where he walked through years of murder statistics to illustrate trends in politically motivated killings compared to overall murder rates in KwaZulu-Natal.

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He acknowledged that the instruction would spark criticism but insisted his focus was on tackling crime at a broader, national level.

“I would be seen to be swimming against the sentiment, the general sentiment. But I said to myself that I don’t believe I was appointed for sentiment, I believe that I was appointed for honesty and reality as I see it in the portfolio and lead accordingly.”

PKTT Disbandment Sparks Debate Over Crime-Fighting Strategy

During his testimony, Mchunu highlighted comparisons between KZN’s murder figures and the smaller subset linked to political motives. He maintained that understanding the scale of the problem required a level-headed view of the data, rather than being driven by public sentiment.

His decision to disband the PKTT has been one of the most contested moves in the policing portfolio in recent years, with critics arguing it undermined efforts to curb political violence in the province.

Mchunu Urges Focus on Broader National Crime Trends

Mchunu told the commission that his actions were intended to reshape the national policing approach. He emphasised that while political killings remain serious, they form part of a much wider crime landscape that requires coordinated action.

By presenting statistical trends, Mchunu insisted he was not downplaying political murders but was instead striving for a balanced strategy that addresses all forms of violent crime with equal urgency.

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