Authority to disband PKTT lies exclusively with National Police Commissioner: Van Rooyen
Van Rooyen says Sibiya had no power to carry out Police Minister Senzo Mchunu's directive.
“The minister of police is not a technocrat. His or her role is to advance the development of legislation and national police policy particularly in terms of key issues that require executive attention. Therefore, a minister is empowered to select which areas warrant specialized intervention and attention such as crash in transits, illegal mining, gangsterism, etc. However, the minister cannot prescribe at the national level.”
She added that suspended Deputy National Police Commissioner for Crime Detection General Shadrack Sibiya also had no legislative authority to carry out an order of disbanding the PKTT.
She says Sibiya had no power to carry out Police Minister Senzo Mchunu’s directive.
“Can the deputy police commissioner say once a minister has issued a directive, we are obliged to comply with it and implement it not withstanding what the national commissioner says? No, the deputy national commissioner does not have that power and I am reminding you commissioner that section 199:6 of the constitution says no member of the security services may comply manifestly with an illegal order.”
Earlier, she also said that the Mchunu himself did not have the authority to disband the task team.
Van Rooyen says that even if the disbandment of the PKTT was discussed with President Cyril Ramaphosa, it does not make it law.
Earlier this week, National Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola testified that Mchunu had informed him that President Ramaphosa had approved the disbanding of the PKTT.
“Government’s policy does not only relate to the decision or view of a president and a minister and this is even more pertinent in view of our current government of national unity. So, it cannot be proposed that even though it was discussed with the president, it has now become government’s policy or government intention to dissolve the PKTT.”
[WATCH] SAPS Major-General Petronella van Rooyen says, “I am of the view that the decision to disband the PKTT lay within the exclusive authority of the National Commissioner, and that the minister did not have the legislative authority to disband the PKTT, let alone the manner… pic.twitter.com/Z9hZpQgal1
— SABC News (@SABCNews) September 25, 2025
[WATCH] SAPS Major-General Petronella van Rooyen says, “I am of the view that the decision to disband the PKTT lay within the exclusive authority of the National Commissioner, and that the minister did not have the legislative authority to disband the PKTT, let alone the manner… pic.twitter.com/Z9hZpQgal1
— SABC News (@SABCNews) September 25, 2025
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