MPs look into KZN killings

MPs are in KwaZulu-Natal this week to look at the political killings in the province with the evidence from the Moerane Commission of Inquiry at the centre of their meetings with the officials.

The commission began its work a few weeks ago, with one of the experts and activists saying there had been 89 deaths at Glebelands Hostel over the last few years, with no action or arrests against the perpetrators.

Two more people were shot dead at the hostel last week bringing the number of deaths to 91 and there have been no arrests.

Chairperson of the portfolio committee on police Francois Beukman said yesterday they wanted to get to the bottom of the problems in KZN of political killings.

He said the visit of the committee would cover the whole province with the aim of understanding the state of policing.

MPs will meet the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) on the allegations of misconduct against the police relating to the evidence against them at the Moerane Commission of Inquiry.

One of the expert witnesses in the commission last week said some of the police officers were colluding with the people involved in the killings.

The hostel was described as a go-to place to hire hitmen.

Meanwhile, Beukman said they would also meet Hawks acting head Lieutenant-General Yolisa Matakata this week in Durban where they will discuss the break-in at the Hawks offices three weeks ago.

The burglary at the Hawks offices in Pretoria was similar to another break-in at the Office of the Chief Justice, Mogoeng Mogoeng, in Johannesburg a few months ago.

The thieves made off with 15 computers containing sensitive information concerning the country’s more than 250 judges.

There was also another burglary at the Office of the Chief Prosecutor in Pretoria, Matric Luphondo, last week.

Political parties have expressed concern at the spate of burglaries at the offices of the top officials in the criminal justice system.

They called on the Minister of Justice Michael Masutha to get to the bottom of the burglaries.

They complained that more than three months after the break-in at Justice Mogoeng’s office in Midrand there has been no end in sight to the burglaries and no motive established.

They said the sooner the government undertook an extensive co-ordinated investigation the better.