Following disputes over KZN dockets, Cachalia and Masemola pledge collaboration to tackle political killings, corruption, and rebuild public trust.
Following a disagreement last week, acting Minister of Police, Professor Firoz Cachalia, and National Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola have vowed to collaborate to fight political killings and corruption and rebuild public trust in law enforcement.
In a joint statement on Tuesday, Cachalia and Masemola announced an agreement to boost the South African Police Service (Saps) capacity.
They said the agreement focuses on tackling political killings and pledged support for the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry into Allegations of Interference in the Criminal Justice System.
Disputes over KZN political killings task team dockets
This comes after the acting minister and general disagreed over the return of case dockets that were taken from the political killings task team in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN).
On Thursday, 28 August, Masemola announced that the Saps will return the 121 seized dockets to the province and check them against original records for discrepancies.
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He told reporters that investigators traced the dockets to police headquarters in Pretoria.
On Friday, Cachalia, however, issued a statement lamenting the commissioner’s decision to return the dockets.
The police minister said that the political killings task team is integral to the allegations made by KZN police commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi.
Cachalia said Saps should wait for commission to finish investigation
He stressed that Saps should wait for the Madlanga Judicial Commission of Inquiry to finish its investigation before taking any action.
Mkhwanazi made shocking claims in July that Police Minister Senzo Mchunu gave deputy national police commissioner Shadrack Sibiya orders to dismantle the team.
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On Sunday, City Press reported that President Cyril Ramaphosa is dissatisfied with the conduct of both the commissioner and minister.
On Monday, Cachalia and Masemola met in an attempt to save face. They met to affirm their respective roles. The minister holds executive authority, and the national commissioner holds operational authority.
The minister and the general said they recognised the importance of maintaining a professional, collegial, and respectful relationship.
Cachalia and Masemola met after Ramaphosa’s dissatisfaction with their conduct
“Importantly, that there [should] be prior consultation and regular reporting on important matters in the public and policy domains,” Cachalia and Masemola said.
The minister and commissioner agreed that Saps capacity must be strengthened to investigate councillor and public official killings.
ALSO READ: 121 seized case dockets to be returned to KZN
They added that this capacity should also protect whistleblowers, professional auditors, and others who play a crucial role in the fight against corruption and organised crime.
“This capacity must be strengthened across the country where needed so that those who threaten our national security have nowhere to hide,” the two affirmed.
Cachalia and Masemola committed to safeguarding the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry’s integrity. They also pledged the support of Saps and all its members.
Safeguarding Madlanga Commission of Inquiry’s integrity
The officials confirmed that the political killings task team will submit the dockets to the commission in the format it requires.
“This is to ensure the integrity of the dockets and enable the commission to thoroughly investigate all the matters related to its terms of reference,” the minister and the national commissioner said.
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“Where there are matters in these dockets requiring urgent further criminal investigations or prosecution, the Saps will advise the commission accordingly.”
In accordance with its mandate, the Saps will also respond quickly when the commission sends it fresh cases that require immediate investigation.
The Madlanga Commission of Inquiry has encountered a challenging beginning.
Commission delayed
On Tuesday, 26 August, Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga announced that the hearings would not commence on Monday due to delays in procuring vital infrastructure.
The commission placed the blame squarely on the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development for the delays, claiming they had failed to meet the procurement deadlines.
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