SAPS CFO Dimpane Claims Mchunu Misused Budget Info to Disband Task Team
Suspended police minister Senzo Mchunu reportedly did not consult with South African Police Service (SAPS) chief financial officer (CFO) Puleng Dimpane before disbanding the political killings task team. Dimpane testified before MPs on Tuesday, stating that Mchunu partially justified the disbandment by citing budget constraints.
Dimpane, who reports directly to national commissioner Fannie Masemola and oversees the entire SAPS budget, told parliament’s ad hoc committee investigating KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi’s allegations of political corruption that Mchunu used her information note out of context. The note, which called for restructuring within the SAPS, was allegedly used to justify the disbandment of the task team.
"I [was] shocked when this information note was utilised as evidence and [tried] to portray a picture that I was advocating for the disbandment of the political task team. It is taken out of context,” Dimpane stated firmly.
She clarified that her concerns were about the long-term nature of the task team and the need for a more permanent solution to the ongoing issues in KwaZulu-Natal. "I had indicated that it was my view that this team was established to deal with the problems in KwaZulu-Natal. It’s been five years; clearly, this team is dealing with a problem that does not want to go away. For us to be able to resource this team properly, we must have a permanent structure."
Mchunu had previously argued that the task team drained too much of the police budget, resources he felt could be better allocated to the murder and robbery unit. Deputy national commissioner Shadrack Sibiya echoed these claims in his own testimony. However, Dimpane insists she never provided either Mchunu or Sibiya with the document used to justify the disbandment.
Dimpane explained that she had raised concerns with Masemola about the nature of the task team, specifically the difficulty in receiving repeated funding applications “every three months for five years,” which made proper budget planning nearly impossible. She also mentioned requesting a work study to determine if the task team could be integrated into a more permanent structure within the SAPS.
Key Takeaways from Dimpane's Testimony:
- Mchunu allegedly did not consult Dimpane before disbanding the task team.
- Dimpane's budget concerns were allegedly taken out of context.
- Dimpane advocated for a permanent solution, not disbandment.