KZN DPP says NPA can't be blamed for delays in politically motivated murder cases. Image: EWN.
(The Post News)-KwaZulu-Natal Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Elaine Harrison stated at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry that the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) cannot be blamed for delays in politically motivated murder cases.
Harrison testified on Friday, 26 September 2025; she highlighted several challenges facing the prosecution of cases investigated by the KwaZulu-Natal Political Killings Task Team (PKTT). The provincial NPA boss told the Madlanga Commission that she assigned a team of prosecutors to work alongside the unit to ensure its cases received the necessary attention.
It is alleged that suspended Deputy National Commissioner for Crime Detection, Shadrack Sibiya, ordered the transfer of 121 dockets from the KZN task team to police headquarters in Pretoria in March of this year. Harrison said this move disrupted ongoing investigations and halted the NPA’s direct involvement in the cases. The files were only returned in August.
Madlanga Inquiry Reveals How NPA Learned of PKTT Disbandment
Harrison also revealed that she first learned about the disbandment of the PKTT not through official communication, but on social media. “I heard about the disestablishment of the KZN political killings task team through the media. It was floating on social media from about the 3rd of January,” she said.
According to KZN DPP, she was never formally notified about the disbandment of the task team. All witnesses who testified at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry this week agreed that Minister of Police Senzo Mchunu’s instruction to disband the KwaZulu-Natal Political Killings Task Team was misguided.
About the Author
