De Haas accuses PKTT of abuse, unlawful searches, fabricated evidence

She told Parliament’s ad hoc committee on political interference in the criminal justice system that she had received consistent reports of unlawful operations, fabricated evidence, and abuse committed by members of the unit.

De Haas, who has monitored policing in KwaZulu-Natal for decades, delivered extensive testimony on Tuesday, describing what she called “horror stories” and “human suffering” linked to the task team’s operations.

She said she had been approached over several years by police officers, whistle-blowers and community members who claimed they were intimidated or mistreated by the team.

According to De Haas, several officers whom the PKTT investigated reported experiencing “extreme emotional and psychological abuse” in addition to physical mistreatment.

"There was the emotional and physical abuse … but the emotional abuse was extreme. I’ve listened to it. I’ve heard about people having to get psychiatric help."

She said one of the most common allegations she had received involved warrantless searches and the confiscation of mobile phones without a court order.

"They just come in and search without a warrant. They don’t produce an order when they take our phones. This was common. This is illegal."

Whistle-blower testimony and evidence fabrication claims

De Haas also cited the affidavit of whistle-blower Ronald Pillay, whom she described as a former road traffic department colleague of an accused officer.

She said Pillay alleged he was pressured to sign a false statement implicating the officer and faced retaliation after refusing.

"They kept harassing him. They would come and search his house without a warrant. His house was even set on fire once — he doesn’t know if it was them. They eventually caused him to lose his job by supplying false evidence."

Pillay, she said, became an example of how officers targeted by the task team were allegedly subjected to psychological pressure rather than overt physical harm.

De Haas insisted these allegations illustrated systemic problems within the PKTT.

Concerns about mandate, case selection and NIU involvement

In her testimony, De Haas raised concerns about the task team’s transparency and mandate, stating shethat did was unsure how the PKTT determined which cases fell within its scope.

"I have heard they have taken dockets that have got nothing to do with politics. I have no idea what base they’re working from."

She further questioned why members of the National Intervention Unit (NIU) — a highly specialised tactical unit — were frequently cited as accompanying detectives on routine operations, including cellphone seizures and house searches.

"I have never in my life … heard of a task team running around with members of the National Intervention Unit, it’s absolutely crazy."

De Haas argued that the PKTT’s operational structure was “grossly irregular,” alleging that core oversight appeared to lie with the National Commissioner, the Provincial Commissioner, a seconded NIU officer and a senior intelligence general.

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She said this was unusual because none were detectives.

De Haas spoke about how Crime Intelligence head, Dumisani Khumalo, the PKTT project leader, was not adequately qualified to lead the specialised team of investigators and prosecutors.

She also said the PKTT didn’t cover itself in glory and abused its powers almost with impunity.

"There was the emotional and physical abuse. The use of tubing, a lot of police do it, but it’s almost a norm from what anybody who encountered the task team spoke of, but also emotional and psychological abuse, which they tended to use more with the policemen they targeted."

Cost concerns and alleged strain on policing resources

She also claimed that the task team was expensive to maintain, referencing internal police communications that suggested budget shortages in early 2024 and 2025, which affected basic functions such as fuel for transporting exhibits, food for detainees, and station supplies.

She said some police officers had questioned whether resources were being diverted to sustain the PKTT, particularly at a time when “ordinary policing” functions were reportedly under strain.

"I see dreadful stuff all the time … people dying and the police doing nothing. Why are we spending this money on this team when ordinary people can’t get justice?"

Taxi violence and political killings

In her affidavit, De Haas said her research showed entrenched links between political killings and taxi industry violence in KwaZulu-Natal.

She claimed taxi hitmen were allegedly deployed in political hits, yet there had been “little progress” in exposing those responsible, despite years of intelligence in circulation.

"It is a cause for great concern that despite the availability of information, little progress has been made in bringing perpetrators to justice," she submitted.

Evidence Leader, Advocate Norman Arendse, noted that De Haas had become a prominent critic of the PKTT, describing her as an outspoken voice on policing malpractice in the province.

Letters to the Police Ministry and fears of reprisals

De Haas confirmed she had written multiple letters to then-Police Minister Senzo Mchunu, urging him to disband the task team.

She said she did so because she was “horrified” by the allegations that continued to reach her from whistle-blowers and victims’ families.

"I wrote because I was horrified by what I was hearing."

She told the committee that she learned of Mchunu’s 31 December 2024 letter, which instructed that the PKTT be disbanded, only after it circulated on a police WhatsApp group on 2 January 2025.

"I was amazed; I was astonished," she said.

However, she stressed that she could not disclose the identities of some officers and whistle-blowers who contacted her, citing safety risks in what she described as “a very violent province.”

"I live carefully because I could get killed. People who give me information could lose their jobs or their lives. I cannot reveal names while these matters are still under investigation by the Madlanga Commission."

She said she had already shared extensive information with the commission and believed its specialist investigators were best placed to test the allegations.

The ad hoc committee is investigating allegations of political interference, corruption, and operational irregularities within the criminal justice system.

The allegations involving the PKTT form part of a broader examination of how political killings are investigated and prosecuted in KwaZulu-Natal.

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