EXCLUSIVE: The Letter That Killed South Africa's Political Killings Task Team

PRETORIA - Lt Gen Sibiya's April 2025 directive reveals how controversial unit was systematically dismantled

A leaked internal SAPS document has exposed the final bureaucratic step in the controversial disbandment of South Africa's Political Killings Task Team (PKTT), revealing how Lieutenant General Shadrack Sibiya implemented the contentious directive that has become central to the Madlanga Commission investigation.

The letter, dated April 22, 2025, and bearing reference number 21/2/1/59, provides unprecedented insight into the administrative machinery used to dismantle the specialized unit that had been investigating political murders across the country.

THE SIGNATURE :

The Final Countdown

Sibiya's directive, addressed to the Divisional Commissioner for Crime Intelligence, Detective & Forensic Services, set a stark deadline: "this process should be finalised by Thursday 24 April 2025." The urgency reflected in this timeline raises questions about the motivations behind the rushed dismantling of a unit investigating sensitive political crimes.

The letter reveals a systematic approach to the PKTT's destruction, requiring "the transfer of all dockets, closed, currently under investigation and in Court, to the Division Detective and Forensic Services." This wholesale transfer of cases suggests an attempt to fragment ongoing investigations across multiple departments, potentially disrupting continuity and compromising case integrity.

READ: SAPS Breakdown: Sibiya Ignored Gen. Masemola’s Orders and Pushed Through PKTT Disbandment

Tracing the Paper Trail

The document references Sibiya's "evenly numbered correspondence dated 2025-01-17 and 2025-02-04," indicating that the disbandment process had been ongoing for months following Minister Mchunu's December 31, 2024 directive. This timeline aligns perfectly with testimony heard at the Madlanga Commission about Sibiya's persistent efforts to implement the ministerial order.

The reference to "subsequent directives on the matter" suggests multiple communications between the Minister's office and Sibiya regarding the PKTT's fate, pointing to sustained pressure to ensure the unit's complete elimination.

The Human Cost

Beyond the bureaucratic language lies a human tragedy - the scattering of specialized investigators who had developed expertise in political violence cases. Sibiya's letter coldly states that "all task team members have reported back to their Stations of origin," effectively breaking up teams that had built crucial institutional knowledge about political killings.

This dispersal of expertise represents more than administrative restructuring - it constitutes the deliberate destruction of investigative capacity that took years to develop. The specialized skills, relationships, and case knowledge accumulated by PKTT members would be lost as they returned to general policing duties.

Operational Implications

The letter's clinical tone masks the operational chaos that such a rapid disbandment would create. Active investigations would be disrupted, court cases potentially compromised, and victims' families left wondering about the fate of their cases.

The requirement for "confirmation that all task team members have reported back to their Stations of origin" by April 25, 2025, reveals the administrative precision with which the unit was dismantled. This level of detailed oversight suggests determination to ensure no remnant of the PKTT survived.

READ: SAPS Legal Chief: Minister Mchunu's Order to Disband Crime Task Team Was Unlawful, Court Told

Document Authentication

The letter bears official SAPS letterhead and formatting, with Sibiya's signature and title as "Deputy National Commissioner: Crime Detection." The document reference SAPS 21 and ID number OCP-S-002-0222 provide authentication markers that confirm its official status within the police bureaucracy.

The formal language and proper administrative protocols followed in the letter demonstrate that Sibiya was implementing the disbandment through established channels, giving the controversial decision a veneer of bureaucratic legitimacy.

Timeline Significance

The April 22, 2025 date places this letter firmly within the period when the Madlanga Commission was already investigating the PKTT's disbandment. This timing raises questions about why the process continued even as its legality and motivations were under judicial scrutiny.

The letter's existence during the commission's proceedings suggests either confidence that the disbandment was legally justified, or determination to complete the process regardless of the ongoing investigation.

Administrative Precision, Questionable Motives

The letter's bureaucratic efficiency contrasts sharply with the controversy surrounding the PKTT's closure. While Sibiya's directive follows proper administrative procedures, the underlying decision to disband the unit remains highly questionable given the ongoing Madlanga Commission investigation.

The formal acknowledgment request - "Kindly acknowledge receipt of this correspondence" - demonstrates standard bureaucratic practice, yet applied to a decision that has raised serious questions about political interference in law enforcement.

Evidence of Implementation

This document serves as crucial evidence that Minister Mchunu's December 31, 2024 directive was not merely issued but actively and systematically implemented despite legal challenges and public controversy. It shows the administrative machinery of SAPS being used to execute a decision that many viewed as politically motivated.

The letter's reference to "compliance with the directive of the Minister of Police" explicitly acknowledges the political origins of the disbandment order, contradicting any claims that the decision was purely operational or administrative.

READ: Madlanga Commission Day 6: SAPS Legal Head Petronella Van Rooyen Testifies on PKTT Disbandment Controversy

Institutional Damage

The clinical efficiency with which the PKTT was dismantled, as revealed in this letter, represents a case study in how specialized law enforcement capabilities can be destroyed through bureaucratic processes. The systematic nature of the disbandment suggests careful planning to ensure the unit could never be easily reconstituted.

The transfer of all dockets to different divisions effectively scattered the PKTT's work across multiple departments, making it difficult to maintain focus on political violence cases and potentially creating opportunities for cases to be neglected or abandoned.

Questions Raised

The letter raises several critical questions about the disbandment process:

Why was there such urgency to complete the process by April 24, 2025? What was driving the tight deadline when the matter was under investigation by the Madlanga Commission?

How were ongoing court cases affected by the wholesale transfer of dockets to different divisions? Were prosecutors and defense attorneys informed of these disruptions?

What happened to the specialized expertise and institutional knowledge of PKTT members once they were scattered back to their stations of origin?

Legal and Ethical Implications

The existence of this letter during the Madlanga Commission proceedings raises questions about whether continuing with the disbandment while under investigation was appropriate. The document shows that despite legal challenges and public scrutiny, the administrative process continued unabated.

The systematic nature of the disbandment, as revealed in the letter, supports arguments that this was not a routine administrative decision but a deliberate effort to eliminate a specific investigative capacity.

Impact on Justice

For families of political violence victims, this letter represents the bureaucratic instrument that ended their hopes for specialized attention to their cases. The cold administrative language contrasts sharply with the human cost of disrupted investigations and scattered expertise.

The letter's emphasis on administrative compliance over investigative continuity reveals a system that prioritized bureaucratic efficiency over justice for victims of political violence.

Historical Significance

This document will likely be remembered as a key piece of evidence in understanding how political interference can be implemented through seemingly routine administrative processes. It demonstrates how controversial political decisions can be executed through the machinery of bureaucracy.

The letter stands as testament to how specialized law enforcement capabilities, built over years, can be dismantled in a matter of months when political will aligns with bureaucratic compliance.

The Madlanga Commission Context

The timing of this letter, issued while the Madlanga Commission was investigating the PKTT's disbandment, adds another layer of significance. It suggests either confidence that the process was legally defensible or determination to complete the disbandment regardless of judicial scrutiny.

As the commission continues its work, this document provides concrete evidence of how Minister Mchunu's directive was translated into administrative action through Sibiya's implementation.

Looking Forward

The letter's existence raises questions about accountability and consequences. If the Madlanga Commission finds that the PKTT's disbandment was unlawful or politically motivated, what implications will this have for those who implemented the decision through official channels?

The document serves as a reminder that controversial political decisions often rely on bureaucratic compliance for their implementation, highlighting the importance of institutional integrity and the courage to resist unlawful orders.

This letter will likely become a key exhibit in understanding how South Africa's specialized investigative capacity for political violence was systematically dismantled, serving as both historical record and cautionary tale about the vulnerability of law enforcement institutions to political interference.