National Police Commissioner Fanie Masemola.
National police commissioner Fannie Masemola told the Madlanga commission that the task team investigating political killings was disbanded shortly after the arrest of Gauteng drug cartel suspects Katiso Molefe and Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala, who are now facing murder charges.
Masemola testified that phone records seized during the arrests showed a direct association between the suspects and the now suspended police minister, Senzo Mchunu. He said the link explained why the unit was abruptly dissolved.
The commission, chaired by retired judge Mbuyiseli Madlanga, has been inquiring into allegations of political interference in policing after KwaZulu-Natal commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi alleged in July that criminal syndicates had infiltrated the criminal justice system. President Cyril Ramaphosa established the inquiry and placed Mchunu, who denies any wrongdoing, on special leave.
Masemola’s testimony backed that of Mkhwanazi’s last week — that Mchunu dissolved the team to shield criminal syndicates. Mkhwanazi told the commission that the minister issued the directive in a WhatsApp message without any prior briefing on the task team’s work.
On Tuesday, Masemola said Mchunu disbanded the task team because he considered political killings to have happened before 1994. But Masemola said the directive was to protect his associates who are linked to well-known drug cartels. He said phone records obtained during a search of Matlala’s house connected the suspects to deputy national police commissioner Shadrack Sibiya, who played a central role in enforcing Mchunu’s instructions.
“Subsequent phone records obtained from an attempted murder accused revealed communication implicating Lieutenant-General Sibiya in the forceful and immediate implementation of the minister’s directive to disband the [task team],” he said.
“This record suggests that Sibiya’s actions were not merely procedural but rather tied to deeper connections with people identified as members of the cartel. The timing and urgency of his compliance appeared to be in line with the imperative to shield cartel members from investigation.”
Masemola said the records showed communication between Sibiya and Matlala, confirming concerns that senior police officials had helped undermine the team.
Evidence leader Terry Motau asked Masemola about a R360 million irregular health management contract linked to Matlala. Masemola said Mchunu had called him to investigate the contract but said he doubted the minister knew it was tied to Molefe and Matlala.
He added that the suspects’ phone records showed them admitting their dismay at how it was their “funder” who had raised concerns over the contract.
Masemola said Sibiya sent out a letter to transfer 121 dockets from the task team to the national police office. He argued that the objective was to strip the team of Gauteng murder cases to protect cartels linked to drugs and killings.
“What I considered to be irrational and inexplicable encroachment to operational issues is now explained by [Mchunu’s] desire to hold investigations against criminal cartels by disbanding the [task team],” he said.
“It is clear now that the arrest of Matlala in main has assisted us to understand the real motive for the disbandment of the [task team]. There was no other motive than to prevent the investigation of the cartels that are involved in drugs and murder.”
He said Mchunu had even convened a meeting in January 2025 to mediate a “nonexistent crisis” between him and Sibiya rather than receive a critical briefing on the task team’s successes.
“This yet another example of ministerial interference which shows the minister had time to convene a meeting to essentially mediate an nonexistent crisis instead of prioritising arranging a meeting to receive a critical briefing of the [task team] which meeting Lieutenant-General Mkhwanazi and I have been repeatedly asking,” said Masemola.
Masemola said he saw no real dispute between himself and Sibiya, but the meeting with Mchunu, Sibiya, crime intelligence boss Dumisani Khumalo and Mkhwanazi focused on office politics instead of the threats facing the task team.
He testified that Sibiya’s conduct became a “hindrance” to investigations and bordered on insubordination. Sibiya was subsequently suspended and now faces disciplinary charges.
“Throughout my tenure I generally made every effort to maintain a constructive and professional working relationship with Lieutenant-General Sibiya … nevertheless in January 2025 I received a formal invitation from the minister for a meeting purportedly convened to mediate between myself and general Sibiya,” Masemola told the commission.
He said Sibiya disagreed with his proposal for a phased winding down of the task team and insisted on implementing Mchunu’s order for immediate disbandment.
Motau asked Masemola if, knowing now what he does about Sibiya and Mchunu’s ties to Matlala, he would still have recommended a gradual phase-out.
“If I knew then that the motive was to prevent the team I would have not even gone as far as suggest a wind-down, I would have outright refused with the disbandment if I knew that was the motive,” Masemola responded.