The Madlanga Commission of Inquiry has erupted with revelations after Major-General Petronella van Rooyen’s testimony on September 25, 2025. Her account exposed the unlawful disbandment of the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Political Killings Task Team (PKTT), a specialized unit created to fight political assassinations. The disclosures paint a damning picture of ministerial interference by Police Minister Senzo Mchunu, raising alarms over the erosion of accountability in the South African Police Service (SAPS).
The Madlanga Commission: Probing Policing and Politics
Launched in early 2025 and chaired by retired Constitutional Court Justice Sisi Madlanga, the commission is tasked with uncovering political interference, corruption, and criminality in SAPS. Hearings have already featured top officials including National Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola and KZN Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi. Van Rooyen, Head of SAPS Governance, Legislation, and Policy Service, brought her three decades of legal experience to the stand, stressing that political meddling in policing is “dangerous and unconstitutional.”
Van Rooyen’s Testimony: Ministerial Overreach Unveiled
At the heart of van Rooyen’s testimony was her claim that Minister Mchunu acted unlawfully when he disbanded the PKTT in December 2024. She argued the power to dissolve or restructure operational units lies with the National Commissioner, not the minister. “The minister’s decision fell outside his mandate,” she declared, citing Sections 199(6) and 199(7) of the Constitution. Her criticism extended to Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on Police, which she said failed in its oversight role by not interrogating the directive.
Other witnesses supported her claims. Commissioner Masemola testified that Mchunu had indeed overstepped, while KZN’s Director of Public Prosecutions, Advocate Elaine Harrison, revealed she only learned of the disbandment through social media. Harrison also disputed Mchunu’s assertion that political killings were a relic of the past, pointing out that more than 200 cases have been recorded since 2018.
The PKTT: A Timeline of Betrayal
Formed in 2018 after a wave of political assassinations, the PKTT played a crucial role in securing convictions and dismantling criminal networks tied to politics and the taxi industry. Its disbandment on January 1, 2025, was justified by Mchunu as the “end of the political killings era,” but critics warn the move has left KZN vulnerable ahead of the 2026 local elections. Investigations stalled, detectives were reassigned, and momentum against kingpins evaporated.
Crime analysts caution that with KZN already posting South Africa’s highest murder rate—92 per 100,000—the loss of the PKTT could fuel a resurgence in political killings, destabilizing both the province and the country’s democratic processes.
Broader Implications: Policing in Crisis
Van Rooyen’s testimony comes against a backdrop of SAPS scandals, from corruption to allegations of cadre deployment. Critics argue that unchecked interference has crippled operational integrity, eroded morale, and undermined public trust. Analysts warn that without reforms, KZN risks becoming a “no-go zone” for free and fair elections.
Public Reaction: Support and Outrage
On social media, #MadlangaCommission trended as South Africans applauded van Rooyen’s courage. “Let’s give Major-General van Rooyen a round of applause 👏🏽 She did great,” one user posted. Others tallied witness credibility, joking “3-0 Mchunu” after Masemola, Harrison, and van Rooyen all contradicted the minister’s version of events. Calls for accountability grew louder, with demands for reforms to safeguard policing from political manipulation.
What Comes Next?
The commission’s findings could reshape SAPS oversight and restore public confidence, but only if recommendations are implemented. Witnesses like van Rooyen have framed this not as a political spat but as a national security crisis. The disbandment of the PKTT, they warn, may embolden criminals and worsen instability unless corrective action is taken swiftly. For many South Africans, the Madlanga Commission has become more than hearings—it is a test of whether the rule of law can still stand above politics.