PRETORIA - The Madlanga Commission of Inquiry into allegations of corruption and interference in the police is under way.
KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi took the stand as the first witness.
At the centre of the inquiry are his claims that the Political Killings Task Team was unlawfully disbanded.
Mkhwanazi has accused senior politicians and police of shielding criminal networks and blocking probes.
When asked about the explosive July briefing, Mkhwanazi said he wanted to inform the public about the level of challenges faced by the SAPS.
"The challenges we face in relation to the work we do as police, which involve criminality, and the political interference on the work that we do as the police, which will also include corruption within the value chain of the justice system, which we are part of as law enforcement," he said.
He said the briefing was a product of collaborative efforts of various units within the SAPS who compiled the document.
"It is a reflection of the common concerns that we share as colleagues in different ranks within the service, which made us have a common desire for these problems to be resolved," he said.