The Madlanga Commission · Live public record
What’s new at the Madlanga Commission
The daily brief: every new hearing day, ruling and document on the Madlanga Commission record, newest first. No 8-hour live feed required.
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Day 146
Witness: Advocate Andrea Johnson. Advocate Andrea Johnson resumed a third day of testimony at the Madlanga Commission, giving evidence on the section 27 referral affidavit that led to the arrest of Crime Intelligence head Lieutenant-General Dumisani Khumalo and six other officials. She addressed the involvement of senior investigator Suneel Bellochun in the Khumalo matter and testified that Khumalo's arrest was unrelated to the work of the Political Killings Task Team. The day continued the commission's scrutiny, over her three appearances, of whether IDAC had the mandate and the evidence to bring the Crime Intelligence prosecutions, and of the separate whistleblower allegation that Johnson shielded Major-General Feroz Khan in 2018. All allegations are untested; Johnson, Khumalo and Khan are presumed innocent.
OpenIDAC boss Andrea Johnson concedes her directorate erred on its mandate in the Khumalo case
On 22 July 2026 (Day 145), her second day of testimony, IDAC head Advocate Andrea Johnson conceded she had made an error in concluding that the corruption case against Crime Intelligence head Lieutenant-General Dumisani Khumalo fell within the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption's mandate - a concession about the legal test applied to the section 27 referral that founded the prosecution. Evidence leader Advocate Mahlape Sello SC pressed her on whether IDAC had improperly 'solicited' an affidavit from National Coloured Congress MP Fadiel Adams, which Johnson disputed even as it emerged that IDAC investigator Dylan Perumal had told Adams the case could not proceed without a specific affidavit from him. Commissioner Advocate Sesi Baloyi SC accused the directorate of misusing its power by moving against the officers too quickly and without a proper legislative basis; Johnson answered 'no comment'. Proceedings adjourned early after she said her medication had a debilitating effect. All allegations are untested; those named are presumed innocent.
OpenDay 145
Witness: Advocate Andrea Johnson. IDAC head Advocate Andrea Johnson returned for a second day at the Madlanga Commission, where evidence leader Advocate Mahlape Sello SC and the commissioners pressed her on whether the directorate had overreached in the Crime Intelligence case. Johnson conceded she had made an error in concluding that the corruption matter against Lieutenant-General Dumisani Khumalo fell within IDAC's mandate, an admission over the legal test applied to a section 27 referral. She pushed back on the suggestion that IDAC had improperly 'solicited' an affidavit from National Coloured Congress MP Fadiel Adams - 'I don't agree with solicited; we're not supposed to solicit' - though it emerged that IDAC investigator Dylan Perumal had told Adams the directorate could not proceed without a specific affidavit from him; Adams's complaint helped trigger the 2025 arrests of seven Crime Intelligence officers, including Khumalo. Commissioner Advocate Sesi Baloyi SC put it to Johnson that IDAC had misused its power by taking intrusive steps against the officers too quickly and without a proper legislative basis, to which Johnson repeatedly answered 'no comment'. Proceedings adjourned about an hour early after Johnson said medication she was taking was having a debilitating effect. All allegations are untested; those named are presumed innocent.
OpenEMPD deputy chief Julius Mkhwanazi and commission's 'Witness K' granted bail in R15m gemstones case
On 21 July 2026 the suspended Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department (EMPD) deputy chief Julius Mkhwanazi - not to be confused with KwaZulu-Natal commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, the whistleblower whose complaint launched the commission - and the commission's 'Witness K' were each granted R5,000 bail in the Johannesburg Magistrate's Court over the 2023 theft of roughly R15 million in precious stones. It was Julius Mkhwanazi's third arrest-and-bail in recent months; on 9 July he and an Ekurhuleni official had been granted R50,000 bail each in a separate corruption matter. These are charges, not findings, and both are presumed innocent.
OpenIDAC head Andrea Johnson finally testifies: reveals a 'get body bags ready' death threat, invokes self-incrimination on Khan
On 21 July 2026 (Day 144), after two July postponements, IDAC head Advocate Andrea Johnson took the stand at the Madlanga Commission. She disclosed that in the days before Crime Intelligence head Lieutenant-General Dumisani Khumalo's arrest on 26 June 2025 she received the first death threat of her prosecutorial career - a message from an unregistered SIM naming her and colleagues and warning 'get body bags ready'. She denied political interference in the Crime Intelligence prosecutions and rejected an alleged 'Khan-IDAC cabal'. On the whistleblower allegation that she leaked a 2018 assault-case docket to Major-General Feroz Khan, Johnson said her 'memory needed jogging', called Khan 'very affable', acknowledged a past social acquaintance, and invoked her constitutional right against self-incrimination - confirming the matter sits in an NPA docket that will decide whether she is prosecuted. All allegations are untested; Johnson and Khan are presumed innocent.
OpenDay 144
Witness: Advocate Andrea Johnson. The head of the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC), Advocate Andrea Johnson, finally took the stand at the Madlanga Commission after her July postponements, and used her first day to answer the whistleblower evidence against her while disclosing a death threat of her own. Johnson told the commission she received a threatening SMS in the days before Crime Intelligence head Lieutenant-General Dumisani Khumalo's arrest on 26 June 2025 - the first death threat of her prosecutorial career - which named her and colleagues and said 'get body bags ready'; it came from an unregistered SIM and the sender was never identified. She denied any political interference in the Khumalo case, said IDAC's investigations are 'driven by evidence, not politics' and predate her taking office, and rejected being part of an alleged 'Khan-IDAC cabal'. On the central allegation - that in 2018, as an NPA prosecutor, she caused Brigadier Leonora Phetlhe's assault-case docket to be leaked to Major-General Feroz Khan - Johnson said her 'memory needed jogging', described Khan as 'very affable' and acknowledged a past social acquaintance, including his 50th birthday, but said they had had no contact for about a year and a half after she distanced herself over allegations linking him to individuals connected to two murders. She confirmed the allegations against her and Khan sit in an NPA docket that will decide whether she is prosecuted, and invoked her constitutional right against self-incrimination on the Khan-related questions. All allegations are untested; Johnson and Khan are presumed innocent.
Open'Cat' Matlala's criminal trial begins in the Johannesburg High Court
On 20 July 2026 the criminal trial of alleged 'Big Five' figure Vusimuzi 'Cat' Matlala opened in the Johannesburg High Court - a matter separate from both his postponed Madlanga Commission appearance and his R228 million Medicare24 tender case. Matlala stands trial with co-accused including his wife Tsakani Matlala on a combined set of charges the state puts at 25 counts, among them 11 counts of attempted murder tied to three shootings between August 2022 and January 2024, along with money laundering; the state alleges he bankrolled three attempted assassinations. The trial is at its outset and all charges are untested; every accused is presumed innocent.
OpenDay 143
The Madlanga Commission sat entirely behind closed doors as the anonymous businessman known only as 'Witness M' continued the in-camera testimony he began under the 8 July ruling that granted him a private hearing on safety grounds. Witness M is giving evidence on one of the major 2021 cocaine busts under investigation - the consignment routed from Durban that was later compromised - and his affidavit is understood to touch on politically exposed individuals, organised-crime families, drug syndicates and law-enforcement officers. Because the session was closed, no public evidence was heard; the commission indicated open hearings would resume the following day. Nothing said in camera is a finding, and anyone who may be named is presumed innocent.
OpenCommission hears how a R200m Durban cocaine bust was bungled by inexperienced officers
On 17 July 2026 (Day 142) the Madlanga Commission heard from KwaZulu-Natal Warrant Officer Mbongeleni Felix Mpangase, one of the officers on the June 2021 operation that recovered more than 540kg of cocaine - street value about R200 million - from a shipping container that arrived at Durban port from Brazil and was intercepted at a depot in Isipingo. Commissioners accused Mpangase of making false or misleading entries in official records and put it to him that the scene was not secured, the drugs were not stored in evidence bags, and the consignment was moved more than 100km away. He conceded he had no experience of large container interceptions and that mistakes were made, but insisted he was following his superiors' orders and had no criminal intent. The cocaine was later stolen from a Hawks storage facility. All allegations are untested and those named are presumed innocent.
OpenFeroz Khan discharged from hospital; precious-metals warrant stayed to September
Suspended Crime Intelligence deputy head Major-General Feroz Khan was discharged from hospital around 17 July 2026, roughly three weeks after he was shot in an apparent assassination attempt in Houghton on 28 June. In the separate illicit-precious-metals matter in the Kempton Park Magistrate's Court, Khan had failed to appear on 14 July; the court authorised a warrant for his arrest but stayed it until 2 September 2026, accepting his medical condition. He remains out on R20,000 bail alongside Gauteng Hawks head Ebrahim Kadwa and businessman Tariq Downes. These are charges, not findings; Khan is presumed innocent and has still not testified before the commission, which led evidence against him in absentia earlier in July.
OpenDay 142
The Madlanga Commission turned back to the mishandling of a major drug seizure, hearing from KwaZulu-Natal-based Warrant Officer Mbongeleni Felix Mpangase - one of the officers on the June 2021 operation that recovered more than 540 kilograms of cocaine, with a street value put at about R200 million, concealed in a shipping container that had arrived at Durban port from Brazil and was intercepted at a depot in Isipingo. Mpangase came under sustained questioning from the commissioners, who accused him of making false or misleading entries in official records connected to the seizure and put it to him that the scene was not properly secured, that the cocaine was not stored in evidence bags and that the consignment was moved to a facility more than 100 kilometres away. He conceded he had no previous experience of large-scale container drug interceptions and that mistakes were made, but maintained he was following the instructions of his superiors and that there was no criminal intent on his part. The commission has heard that the cocaine was later stolen from a Hawks storage facility, amid allegations that officials may have colluded with drug traffickers - the same trafficking saga the in-camera 'Witness M' is testifying about. All allegations are untested and those named are presumed innocent.
OpenCommission questions IDAC's whole case against Khumalo over the Mokwele appointment
On 16 July 2026 (Day 141) IDAC investigator Brian Padayachee concluded a third day of cross-examination on the fraud and corruption case the directorate brought against Crime Intelligence head Lieutenant-General Dumisani Khumalo over the allegedly irregular appointment of Brigadier Dineo Mokwele - an ex-BMW mechatronics and industrial-engineering graduate - to a technical Crime Intelligence post. Chairperson Mbuyiseli Madlanga had called IDAC's reasoning a 'quantum leap in logic', Commissioner Sesi Baloyi SC framed the founding complaint as a human-resources dispute with no allegation of corruption, and the Mail & Guardian reported the commission heard IDAC had charged Khumalo 'on sparse facts'. The evidence leaders traced a documentary timeline showing the complaint reached IDAC within weeks. Nothing is a finding; the IDAC case is untested and all named are presumed innocent.
OpenDay 141
Witness: Col Brian Padayachee. Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC) investigator Brian Padayachee concluded a third day in the hot seat on the fraud and corruption case the directorate brought against Crime Intelligence head Lieutenant-General Dumisani Khumalo and co-accused over the allegedly irregular appointment of Brigadier Dineo Mokwele - a former BMW employee holding a mechatronics-engineering diploma and an industrial-engineering degree - to a brigadier-level post running Crime Intelligence's Technical Support Services unit. IDAC's theory that the appointment was an 'attempt to capture Crime Intelligence' met sustained scepticism across the three days: chairperson Mbuyiseli Madlanga had called the reasoning a 'quantum leap in logic', noting that SAPS regularly appoints civilians with specialist expertise and that a lack of policing experience does not by itself point to criminal conduct, while Commissioner Advocate Sesi Baloyi SC put it that National Coloured Congress MP Fadiel Adams's founding affidavit contained no allegation of corruption and read more like a human-resources dispute than a crime. IOL reported Padayachee's evidence as amounting to Mokwele being arrested over conduct investigators believed she might commit in future - he could not say when the alleged offence would occur - and the commission noted the charge dated the alleged offence to October 2024 although Mokwele only signed her contract that December, her appointment taking effect on 1 November 2024. On this day the evidence leaders walked the documentary record showing how the complaint reached IDAC within weeks, and the Mail & Guardian reported the commission heard IDAC had charged Khumalo 'on sparse facts'. All allegations are untested; Khumalo, Mokwele and those named are presumed innocent.
OpenCommission questions whether IDAC had jurisdiction to charge Khumalo
On 15 July 2026 (Day 140) the Madlanga Commission scrutinised the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption's mandate as it continued cross-examining IDAC investigator Brian Padayachee on the fraud and corruption case against Crime Intelligence head Lieutenant-General Dumisani Khumalo. Counsel put it to Padayachee that the complaint by National Coloured Congress MP Fadiel Adams did not, on its own, give IDAC jurisdiction and lacked substance, and chairperson Mbuyiseli Madlanga said it was 'highly improbable' that Padayachee could have run the investigation without a copy of the main complaint. Padayachee again denied MK Party MP Vusi Shongwe's claim of an 'Indian cabal' said to include himself, IDAC head Advocate Andrea Johnson, senior investigator Suneel Bellochun and Major-General Feroz Khan, saying 'if such a cabal exists, I am not a party to it'. All allegations are untested; those named are presumed innocent.
Open'Cat' Matlala's commission testimony postponed to 1 September; statement due 29 July
On 15 July 2026 (Day 140) the Madlanga Commission postponed the testimony of alleged 'Big Five' cartel figure Vusimuzi 'Cat' Matlala to 1 September 2026 and ordered him to file his statement by 29 July. His counsel, Advocate Anneline van den Heever, argued that his section 35 constitutional rights as a potential accused had to take precedence over the commission's timetable, and that the defence could not responsibly advise him to testify until it had seen the documents on his collapsed plea negotiations and understood the full criminal case against him. Chairperson Mbuyiseli Madlanga, visibly irritated, cut the argument short to focus on the 'broader question' of precedence before granting the postponement. Matlala's R228 million Medicare24 fraud matter separately goes to trial on 11 September. The court has made no finding and he is presumed innocent.
OpenDay 140
Witness: Col Brian Padayachee. The Madlanga Commission postponed the testimony of alleged 'Big Five' cartel figure Vusimuzi 'Cat' Matlala to 1 September 2026 and ordered him to file his statement by 29 July, after his counsel Advocate Anneline van den Heever argued that his section 35 constitutional rights as a potential accused had to take precedence over the commission's timetable: she said the defence could not responsibly advise him to testify until it had seen the documents relating to his collapsed plea negotiations and understood the full criminal case against him. Chairperson Mbuyiseli Madlanga, visibly irritated, cut the argument short to focus on 'the broader question' of precedence. The commission then continued cross-examining Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC) investigator Brian Padayachee on the fraud and corruption case against Crime Intelligence head Lieutenant-General Dumisani Khumalo, with counsel questioning whether the complaint by National Coloured Congress MP Fadiel Adams gave IDAC jurisdiction at all and calling it thin on substance; Madlanga said it was 'highly improbable' that Padayachee could have run the investigation without a copy of the main complaint. Padayachee again rejected MK Party MP Vusi Shongwe's claim of an 'Indian cabal' of Padayachee, IDAC head Advocate Andrea Johnson, senior investigator Suneel Bellochun and Major-General Feroz Khan, telling the commission: 'If such a cabal exists, I am not a party to it.' All allegations are untested; those named are presumed innocent.
OpenBusinessman Suleiman Carrim ruled medically unfit to testify again
Ahead of a 15 July 2026 return date, businessman Suleiman Carrim was again reported to have been ruled medically unfit to testify before the Madlanga Commission, still receiving treatment at a healthcare facility outside Gauteng. Carrim - one of the alleged funders in the R360 million SAPS Medicare24 tender who testified on Days 73-74 before a run of ill-health postponements - had in late June been warned by evidence leader Advocate Matthew Chaskalson SC that the commission could recommend his prosecution under the Commissions Act if he refused an independent medical assessment. The commission indicated that if an independent assessment confirmed he was unfit it would abide by that finding and rely on the evidence already before it. The court has made no finding against him and he is presumed innocent.
OpenIDAC investigator Padayachee denies 'Khan cabal' and interception claims at the commission
On 14 July 2026 (Day 139), with IDAC head Advocate Andrea Johnson's testimony still postponed on medical grounds, senior Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC) investigator Brian Padayachee took the stand to defend the directorate against claims it is being weaponised in police infighting. He denied allegations - raised through Durban businessman Thoshan Panday - that he ran unlawful telephone interceptions and covert surveillance for over a decade, calling them 'baseless and devoid of merit' and saying IDAC has sufficient evidence to sustain its criminal case against Crime Intelligence head Lieutenant-General Dumisani Khumalo and others. Padayachee rejected the existence of a 'Khan-IDAC cabal', confirmed he knew suspended Crime Intelligence deputy head Major-General Feroz Khan from prior work, and disputed KZN commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi's account, saying Mkhwanazi knew of Khumalo's arrest. He conceded he did not have complainant MP Fadiel Adams's signed affidavit when the Khumalo case began. All allegations are untested; those named are presumed innocent.
OpenDay 139
Witness: Col Brian Padayachee. With IDAC head Advocate Andrea Johnson's testimony still postponed on medical grounds, senior Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC) investigator Brian Padayachee took the stand at the Madlanga Commission to defend the directorate against claims that it is being weaponised in police infighting. Padayachee denied allegations - raised through Durban businessman Thoshan Panday - that he orchestrated unlawful telephone interceptions and covert surveillance for more than a decade by misusing interception orders, calling them 'baseless and devoid of merit' and insisting 'the IDAC has sufficient evidence to sustain the charges in the criminal case against Khumalo and other officials at Crime Intelligence'. He rejected the existence of a so-called 'Khan-IDAC cabal' (also put to him as an 'Indian cabal'), saying he had no knowledge of any such group, while confirming he knew suspended Crime Intelligence deputy head Major-General Feroz Khan from their earlier work together in Crime Intelligence. Padayachee also pushed back on KwaZulu-Natal commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi's claims, testifying that Mkhwanazi knew of and had no issue with the arrest of Crime Intelligence head Lieutenant-General Dumisani Khumalo, whose fraud and corruption case he said arose from a complaint laid by National Coloured Congress MP Fadiel Adams. Under questioning he conceded he did not have Adams's original signed affidavit when the case began, relying on an oral briefing and receiving the sworn statement later, which chairperson Mbuyiseli Madlanga probed. Businessman Suleiman Carrim was separately reported to have been ruled medically unfit to testify again, days before a 15 July return date. All allegations are untested; those named are presumed innocent.
OpenIDAC head Johnson's testimony postponed after hospital dash; Mkhwanazi attacks IDAC
On 13 July 2026 (Day 138) IDAC head Advocate Andrea Johnson was due to answer whistleblower evidence that, as a prosecutor in 2018, she caused an assault-case docket to be leaked to Major-General Feroz Khan, but her testimony was postponed after her counsel said she had been rushed to hospital that morning. Chairperson Mbuyiseli Madlanga dismissed her medical certificate as 'useless', saying such certificates 'give no information whatsoever'; no new date was set. KwaZulu-Natal commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi then testified, describing IDAC as an entity used by top police in internal fights - given as Crime Intelligence head Lieutenant-General Dumisani Khumalo faces an IDAC-investigated criminal charge. All allegations are untested; those named are presumed innocent.
Open'Cat' Matlala withdraws his guilty plea; heads to trial on 11 September
On 13 July 2026, back in the Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crimes Court, alleged 'Big Five' figure Vusimuzi 'Cat' Matlala withdrew from his plea-and-sentence agreement rather than accept the effective 12-year term the magistrate had proposed in place of the rejected eight-year deal. Magistrate Ignatius du Preez declared the agreement null and void; the guilty plea and sentencing fell away, and the R228 million (advertised R360 million) SAPS Medicare24 tender case - against Matlala and his companies Medicare24 Tshwane District and Luxo Africa Brand Investments - was postponed to 11 September 2026 for trial. The NPA confirmed his plea statement cannot be used in new prosecutions, removing the section 204 state-witness leverage against his former co-accused. With the plea withdrawn, all the charges are once again untested and Matlala is presumed innocent.
OpenDay 138
IDAC head Advocate Andrea Johnson was scheduled to testify before the Madlanga Commission to answer the whistleblower evidence that, as an NPA prosecutor in 2018, she caused an assault-case docket to be leaked to Major-General Feroz Khan, but her testimony was postponed after her counsel told the commission she had been rushed to hospital that morning with undisclosed health issues. Chairperson Mbuyiseli Madlanga dismissed her medical certificate as 'useless', saying such certificates 'give no information whatsoever', and no new date was set. Her no-show drew scrutiny from President Cyril Ramaphosa, who appointed her. With Johnson unavailable, no witness evidence was heard on the docket-leak allegations. All allegations are untested; those named are presumed innocent.
OpenThe 'Ekurhuleni Four' - incl. Mashazi and Julius Mkhwanazi - out on R50,000 bail each
Four Ekurhuleni officials charged in a corruption case tied to Madlanga Commission evidence were, by 10 July 2026, all released on R50,000 bail each from the Germiston Magistrate's Court: suspended EMPD deputy chief Julius Mkhwanazi and suspended legal head Advocate Kemi Behari (granted bail 9 July), and former city manager Dr Imogen Mashazi and former HR head Linda Gxasheka (granted bail 10 July after the NPA dropped its opposition). The state alleges senior City of Ekurhuleni officials shielded Mkhwanazi from disciplinary action after he allegedly fitted police 'blue lights' to private luxury vehicles owned by Vusimuzi 'Cat' Matlala, and that the four benefited from or enabled irregular salary adjustments (about R1.7 million for Mkhwanazi; about R1.3 million each for Behari and Gxasheka). The matter was postponed to 28 August 2026. The charges are untested and all four are presumed innocent. (This Julius Mkhwanazi is the EMPD official, not KZN commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi.)
OpenWitness says IDAC head Andrea Johnson shielded Feroz Khan in a 2018 assault case
On 10 July 2026 (Day 137) retired Hawks Colonel Kobus Roelofse testified before the Madlanga Commission that the head of the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC), Advocate Andrea Johnson, interfered in a 2018 assault investigation in which suspended Crime Intelligence deputy head Major-General Feroz Khan was the suspect. Roelofse said Johnson improperly obtained contents of the police docket - stemming from Brigadier Leonora Phetlhe's complaint that Khan had assaulted her with a pen - and forwarded them by email to Khan before he had been charged, allegedly letting him tailor his account. The commission also ruled that two further protected witnesses, 'Witness N' and 'Witness O', would give parts of their evidence in camera. All allegations are untested; Khan and Johnson are presumed innocent.
OpenDay 137
Retired Hawks Colonel Kobus Roelofse - one of four police officers who testified this day - told the Madlanga Commission that the head of the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC), Advocate Andrea Johnson, interfered in a 2018 assault investigation in which suspended SAPS Crime Intelligence deputy head Major-General Feroz Khan was the suspect. The evidence was that, as an NPA prosecutor, Johnson caused the contents of the police docket - arising from Brigadier Leonora Phetlhe's complaint that Khan assaulted her with a pen at Crime Intelligence headquarters on 26 June 2018 - to be emailed to a Crime Intelligence officer (who testified as a protected witness) on 4 July 2018, comprising 12 images and an audio file of the docket; the officer printed them and handed them to Khan before he had given his warning statement, which Roelofse said let Khan tailor his account. Hawks officer Mark McLean also testified that then National Director of Public Prosecutions Advocate Shamila Batohi allegedly blocked the Hawks' probe into Johnson. The commission ruled that two protected witnesses, 'Witness N' and 'Witness O', would give parts of their evidence in camera on safety grounds. All allegations are untested; Khan, Johnson and Batohi are presumed innocent and have not answered them before the commission.
OpenRamaphosa extends the commission to 16 November 2026
On 9 July 2026 President Cyril Ramaphosa extended the Madlanga Commission's deadlines, moving the date for its final report from 31 August to 16 November 2026 and setting an evidence deadline of 2 October 2026. The commission had asked for more time on 7 July, its spokesperson Jeremy Michaels citing a mounting workload as it races through the police-corruption evidence. The extension is an administrative decision by the Presidency, not a finding on any matter before the commission.
OpenPublic hearings resume; World Bank expert exposes police lifestyle-audit loopholes
On 9 July 2026 (Day 136) the Madlanga Commission returned to public hearings after the previous day's closed session for 'Witness M'. World Bank anti-corruption expert Dr Albertus Schoeman testified on weaknesses in the SAPS financial-disclosure and lifestyle-audit systems, telling the commission that no SAPS officials faced lifestyle investigations across 2021/22 to 2023/24, that only five of 823 senior managers were audited in 2024/25 (all cleared), and that because disclosure forms exclude family members, assets can be hidden in relatives' names. The commission confirmed the same day that President Ramaphosa had extended its deadlines - public evidence to conclude by 2 October and the final report due 16 November 2026. This is evidence and administration, not a finding.
OpenDay 136
The Madlanga Commission returned to public hearings after the previous day's closed session for 'Witness M'. World Bank anti-corruption expert Dr Albertus Schoeman, a task-team leader on the World Bank's anti-corruption programme in Southern Africa, testified on structural weaknesses in the SAPS financial-disclosure and lifestyle-audit systems. He told the commission that no SAPS officials faced lifestyle investigations across the 2021/22 to 2023/24 years, that only five of 823 senior managers were audited in 2024/25 - all of whom were cleared - and that because disclosure forms exclude family members, assets can be hidden in relatives' names. The commission also confirmed that President Cyril Ramaphosa had extended its deadlines, with public evidence now to conclude by 2 October 2026 and the final report due by 16 November 2026. Nothing in the evidence is a finding; the systemic gaps described are matters for the commission's report.
Open'Witness M' granted in-camera testimony; public hearings close for several days
On 8 July 2026 (Day 135) chairperson retired Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga granted an unopposed application by an anonymous businessman, referred to only as 'Witness M', to testify entirely in camera, suspending the Madlanga Commission's public hearings for several days. Witness M sought a closed session citing serious risks to his safety - surveillance vehicles outside his home, anonymous phone calls and a fear of being killed, saying he had moved his family. The evidence leaders indicated he would speak to one of the major 2021 cocaine busts under investigation and that his account touches on politically exposed individuals, organised-crime families, drug syndicates, terrorist organisations and law-enforcement officers. Madlanga said the commission could not say how long the closed session would run and adjourned; no public evidence was heard. Nothing in the ruling is a finding; all matters remain untested and anyone who may be named is presumed innocent.
OpenBrown Mogotsi's criminal case postponed to 3 August
On 8 July 2026 the criminal case against North West businessman Brown Mogotsi was postponed in the Johannesburg Magistrate's Court to 3 August 2026, to allow his defence to study video footage said to relate to an alleged staged attack on his own vehicle. Mogotsi - a figure named across the Madlanga Commission's evidence, including as an alleged conduit in the Medicare24 tender chain - has been in custody since 15 May 2026 and faces charges including perjury, defeating the ends of justice and unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition. The charges are untested and he is presumed innocent; his commission-related allegations likewise remain untested.
OpenDay 135
Chairperson retired Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga granted an unopposed application by an anonymous businessman, referred to only as 'Witness M', to testify entirely in camera, closing the commission's public hearings for several days. Witness M had asked for his evidence to be heard behind closed doors citing serious risks to his safety - surveillance vehicles outside his home, anonymous phone calls and a fear of being killed, saying he had moved his family - and the commission accepted the risk was real; media houses did not oppose the application. The evidence leaders indicated Witness M would speak to one of the major 2021 cocaine busts under investigation, and that his account touches on politically exposed individuals, organised-crime families, drug syndicates, terrorist organisations and law-enforcement officers. Madlanga said the commission could not say how long the closed session would run - 'At this stage, we have no idea by when it will be done; I can't announce that we will resume in open session' - and adjourned. No public evidence was heard. Nothing in the ruling is a finding; all matters remain untested and anyone who may be named is presumed innocent.
OpenCommission asks the Presidency for more time as the 31 August deadline looms
On 7 July 2026 the Madlanga Commission confirmed it was in discussions with the Presidency over a possible extension, with spokesperson Jeremy Michaels saying the inquiry was grappling with an increasingly demanding workload as commissioners raced to conclude hearings and compile their reports, then due by 31 August 2026. President Ramaphosa granted the extension two days later, on 9 July. This is a procedural and administrative development, not a finding on any allegation before the commission.
Open'Cat' Matlala's commission testimony set down for 15 July
On 7 July 2026 the Madlanga Commission rescheduled the testimony of alleged 'Big Five' cartel figure Vusimuzi 'Cat' Matlala to 15 July 2026, after his 7 July appearance was postponed at the evidence leaders' request. His legal team appeared and he was seen briefly by video link from Kgosi Mampuru II Correctional Centre; chairperson Mbuyiseli Madlanga ordered his written statement filed by 8 July and set the date deliberately two days after his plea-and-sentence matter returns to the Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crimes Court on 13 July, where a proposed 12-year sentence awaits his and the NPA's decision. The cartel and attempted-murder allegations against him remain untested; he is presumed innocent of them.
OpenCommission details Khan's alleged unexplained wealth: ~R39m in property and 30 vehicles
On 7 July 2026 (Day 134) evidence leader Advocate Adila Hassim SC took the Madlanga Commission through what she called suspended Crime Intelligence deputy head Major-General Feroz Khan's unexplained wealth, with his evidence again led in his absence as he remained hospitalised after the 28 June shooting. She submitted that records showed income of roughly two-and-a-half times his police salary from undisclosed sources, a car-parts business generating about R3 million a year, some 30 vehicles bought in a single year and a property portfolio estimated at about R39 million, and alleged he had helped manipulate a tender to supply car parts to SAPS. The public portion of the evidence against Khan then concluded, with a further portion to be heard in camera. Khan has not answered any of this before the commission; it is untested and he is presumed innocent.
OpenWhatsApps allege a plot to oust the intelligence watchdog; Malema denies in an affidavit
On 7 July 2026 (Day 134) evidence leader Advocate Matthew Chaskalson SC led WhatsApp messages from Major-General Feroz Khan's seized phone which he said show Khan and tobacco businessman Mohamed 'Mo' Sayed plotting to trap the then Inspector-General of Intelligence, Dr Setlhomamaru Dintwe, into a false statement so his removal could be demanded - an 11-12 June 2021 exchange of prepared questions in which Khan allegedly wrote 'this should get him to lie, and in return we can ask for his removal', referencing questions EFF leader Julius Malema had allegedly forwarded ('Juju sent me now'). Malema, who is not a commission witness, filed a responding affidavit that was read into the record, stating 'I deny that I conspired to orchestrate the removal of Dr Dintwe' and saying he could not verify the authenticity of the messages. All allegations are untested; Khan and Malema are presumed innocent.
OpenDay 134
The Madlanga Commission continued leading evidence against suspended SAPS Crime Intelligence deputy head Major-General Feroz Khan in his absence, with Khan still hospitalised after the 28 June shooting. Evidence leader Advocate Adila Hassim SC took the commission through Khan's alleged unexplained wealth: records that, she submitted, showed income of roughly two-and-a-half times his police salary from undisclosed sources, a car-parts business generating about R3 million a year, some 30 vehicles bought in a single year and a property portfolio estimated at about R39 million, alongside an allegation that Khan helped manipulate a tender to supply car parts to SAPS. Evidence leader Advocate Matthew Chaskalson SC then led WhatsApp messages from Khan's seized phone which he said show Khan and tobacco businessman Mohamed 'Mo' Sayed plotting to trap the then Inspector-General of Intelligence, Dr Setlhomamaru Dintwe, into a false statement so that his removal could be demanded - an 11-12 June 2021 exchange of prepared questions in which Khan allegedly wrote 'this should get him to lie, and in return we can ask for his removal coz he lied', with EFF leader Julius Malema referenced as having sent questions ('Juju sent me now'). Malema, who is not a commission witness, filed a responding affidavit that was read into the record, denying that he conspired to orchestrate Dintwe's removal and saying he could not verify the authenticity of the messages. The commission also confirmed it had asked the Presidency for more time, its interim and final reports then due by 31 August 2026 - a deadline President Ramaphosa extended to 16 November 2026 (with an evidence deadline of 2 October) on 9 July. All allegations are untested; Khan and Malema are presumed innocent.
OpenKhan's disclosures show a 30-car fleet; commission calls for a probe into a journalist's burglary
As the Madlanga Commission continued leading evidence against suspended Crime Intelligence deputy head Major-General Feroz Khan in his absence on 6 July 2026 (Day 133), evidence leader Advocate Adila Hassim SC told the commission Khan's financial-disclosure forms lurched from declaring zero vehicles in 2023 to a mixed luxury-and-vintage fleet of about 30 cars in 2024, with no explanatory comments, submitting he had lived far beyond a police salary. She also asked investigators to probe Khan's possible involvement in the March 2021 burglary at the home of Daily Maverick journalist Marianne Thamm - both her laptops stolen two months after she reported on SAPS Covid-19 PPE corruption - citing a WhatsApp message in which Khan said 'a counter should be activated on the journalist'. The day fell exactly one year after Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi's 6 July 2025 press conference that sparked the inquiry. All allegations are untested; Khan is presumed innocent.
Open'Cat' Matlala's 7 July appearance postponed to a date to be determined
The Madlanga Commission confirmed on 6 July 2026 that alleged 'Big Five' cartel figure Vusimuzi 'Cat' Matlala - subpoenaed on 2 July to appear the next day, Tuesday 7 July - would no longer take the stand this week. The commission's evidence leaders sought the postponement 'due to the heightened media and public interest in the testimony of Mr Vusimuzi Matlala', with his appearance moved to a date to be determined; his legal representative will appear in person on 7 July in his place. Matlala remains held at Kgosi Mampuru II Correctional Centre in Pretoria and is still described as a 'central figure' in the inquiry. The cartel and attempted-murder allegations against him remain untested; he is presumed innocent of them.
OpenLt-Gen Mfazi's 2021 death investigated as murder; police raid SAPS-linked properties
The July 2021 death of Lieutenant-General Sindile Mfazi - former SAPS Deputy National Commissioner for Crime Detection, originally recorded as Covid-19-related - is now being investigated as a murder after his body was exhumed and a poisonous substance was found. On 6 July 2026 police raided four premises linked to SAPS members in Centurion, questioned a person of interest and seized electronic devices. At his death Mfazi was involved in probes into the SAPS Secret Services Account and alleged corruption in roughly R1.6 billion of Covid-19 personal-protective-equipment contracts. Mfazi is the senior officer businessman Itumeleng 'Tumelo' Nku told the Madlanga Commission he had alerted to the 2021 Aeroton cocaine consignment. Authorities say they cannot yet outline a motive; no one has been charged and any person of interest is presumed innocent.
OpenEvidence probes Khan's link to a ~R3.5m London trip funded for a city official
As it led evidence against Major-General Feroz Khan in his absence (Day 133, 6 July 2026), the Madlanga Commission examined Khan's alleged awareness of a roughly R3.5 million private-jet weekend to London that politically connected Gauteng businessman Zesimdumise 'Ze' Nxumalo allegedly funded for former Ekurhuleni city manager Dr Imogen Mashazi. The link to Khan runs through Carnilinx executive Mohamed 'Mo' Sayed, who on 12 October 2022 forwarded Khan the trip's immigration and aviation documents; the money in evidence flowed from XET Solutions through Nxumalo's ZIG Revenue Management to the charter operator. Evidence leader Advocate Adila Hassim SC stressed there is at this stage no evidence of a quid pro quo, only that a flight of that value 'invites the inference' of an expected return. All of it is untested; Khan, Nxumalo and Mashazi are presumed innocent.
OpenDay 133
The Madlanga Commission continued leading evidence against suspended Crime Intelligence deputy head Major-General Feroz Khan in his absence - one year to the day after Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi's 6 July 2025 press conference first aired the corruption allegations that led to the inquiry. Evidence leader Advocate Adila Hassim SC detailed what she called a pattern of financial beneficiation between Khan and businessman Mohamed 'Mo' Sayed spanning a 2021 SAPS personal-protective-equipment tender and a police IT contract. She told the commission Khan's financial-disclosure forms lurched from declaring zero vehicles in 2023 to a mixed luxury-and-vintage fleet of 30 cars in 2024, with no explanatory comments, submitting that he had lived far beyond a police salary. Hassim also asked investigators to probe Khan's possible involvement in the March 2021 burglary at the home of Daily Maverick journalist Marianne Thamm - both her laptops were stolen two months after she reported on SAPS Covid-19 PPE corruption - citing a WhatsApp message in which Khan said 'a counter should be activated on the journalist': 'You can't conclusively show it was linked to the WhatsApp exchange, but the sequence is alarming, and I raise it because it requires further investigation.' She said the record showed 'a pattern of abusing Crime Intelligence resources for his own personal gains'. All allegations are untested; Khan is presumed innocent.
OpenCommission begins leading evidence against Khan in his absence: alleged tender facilitation for Mo Sayed
With Major-General Feroz Khan still hospitalised after the 28 June shooting, the Madlanga Commission began leading evidence against him in his absence on 3 July 2026 (Day 132). Evidence leader Advocate Adila Hassim SC took the commission through WhatsApp chats extracted from Khan's seized phone that she said show him acting as a 'willing facilitator' of government tenders for tobacco businessman Mohamed 'Mo' Sayed - a 12 January 2021 SAPS face-mask enquiry, a 5 June 2021 request to check contract detail from 'Fanie' (suspended SAPS supply-chain commissioner Molefe Fani, also acting Treasury procurement head), and 7 July 2021 voice notes on Covid-19 test-kit volumes - submitting that 'at no point did Khan attempt to reject the arrangement'. She also pointed to a related Treasury IT contract allegedly facilitated by Khan and Fani. All allegations are untested; Khan, Sayed and Fani are presumed innocent.
OpenDay 132
With suspended SAPS Crime Intelligence deputy head Major-General Feroz Khan still hospitalised after the 28 June shooting and unable to appear, the Madlanga Commission began leading evidence against him in his absence. Evidence leader Advocate Adila Hassim SC took the commission through WhatsApp chats extracted from Khan's phone - seized around 10 May 2026 when he was arrested - which she said show Khan acting as a 'willing facilitator' of government tenders for tobacco businessman Mohamed 'Mo' Sayed. The messages, dated through 2021, include a 12 January exchange in which Sayed asked how to secure a SAPS face-mask contract and Khan told him to send prices and samples; a 5 June message asking Khan to check contract detail from 'Fanie' - suspended SAPS supply-chain divisional commissioner Molefe Fani, who also acted as head of procurement at National Treasury; and 7 July voice notes about Covid-19 test-kit volumes. Hassim submitted that 'at no point did Khan attempt to reject the arrangement', and pointed to a related IT contract between Treasury and a private company allegedly facilitated by Khan and Fani. All allegations are untested; Khan, Sayed and Fani are presumed innocent.
OpenCommission postpones Tumelo Nku's testimony indefinitely over security concerns
The Madlanga Commission abruptly postponed the testimony of businessman Itumeleng 'Tumelo' Nku indefinitely on 2 July (Day 131), citing security concerns. Nku, who was present and due to conclude his evidence on the 2021 Aeroton cocaine bust, heard chairperson Mbuyiseli Madlanga announce: 'There are security concerns about Nku. We cannot hear his testimony at this stage. The hearing of his testimony is postponed indefinitely.' The commission gave no detail on the nature of the concerns and said an announcement would follow on when and under what circumstances Nku would return. All allegations around his role remain untested; he is presumed innocent.
Open'Cat' Matlala subpoenaed to testify before the commission on 7 July
The Madlanga Commission confirmed on 2 July (Day 131) that it had subpoenaed alleged 'Big Five' cartel figure Vusimuzi 'Cat' Matlala - the businessman at the centre of the R360 million SAPS Medicare24 tender - to appear on Tuesday 7 July 2026. Spokesperson Jeremy Michaels called him a 'central figure' in the investigation into criminality, political interference and organised-crime influence in law enforcement. Matlala, held at Kgosi Mampuru II Correctional Centre in Pretoria, pleaded guilty to tender fraud in June (though the court rejected the agreed sentence on 1 July - see below); it is understood he agreed to testify on condition he would not be cross-examined on aspects of the Medicare24 tender, his lawyers arguing it could affect ongoing legal proceedings. The cartel and attempted-murder allegations against him remain untested; he is presumed innocent of them.
OpenDay 131
The Madlanga Commission abruptly postponed the testimony of businessman Itumeleng 'Tumelo' Nku indefinitely, citing security concerns. Nku, who was due to conclude his evidence on the 2021 Aeroton cocaine bust, was present when chairperson Mbuyiseli Madlanga announced the halt: 'There are security concerns about Nku. We cannot hear his testimony at this stage. The hearing of his testimony is postponed indefinitely,' adding that an announcement would follow on when and under what circumstances he would return. The commission separately confirmed it had subpoenaed alleged 'Big Five' cartel figure Vusimuzi 'Cat' Matlala - described by spokesperson Jeremy Michaels as a 'central figure' in its investigation and currently held at Kgosi Mampuru II Correctional Centre in Pretoria - to appear on Tuesday 7 July 2026. It is understood Matlala agreed to testify on condition he would not be cross-examined on aspects of the R360 million SAPS Medicare24 tender, his legal team arguing that questioning on it could affect his ongoing legal proceedings. All allegations remain untested and those named are presumed innocent.
OpenMadlanga rejects Khan's in-camera bid; shot top cop too critical to testify
Suspended Crime Intelligence deputy head Major-General Feroz Khan, summoned to begin testifying on 1 July (Day 130), could not appear: he remained in a critical condition at Milpark Hospital after being shot outside his Houghton home on 28 June. His legal team instead argued that parts of his evidence be heard in camera - an application filed at 11:04pm on the night of the shooting - which chairperson Mbuyiseli Madlanga rejected as fatally vague ('We are completely in the dark. It is vague; I could go further and say it is hopeless') before counsel Advocate Zubair Khan withdrew it, to refile once Khan can give instructions. The commission also rebuked the team for accusing the inquiry of leaks; the lawyers said Khan was sedated and unable to speak, invited the commissioners to verify his condition in hospital, and submitted a J88 medical report and photographs to counter speculation the shooting was staged. The commission said it will engage his lawyers on the way forward. All allegations remain untested; Khan is presumed innocent.
OpenCourt rejects 'Cat' Matlala's 8-year plea deal as too lenient, proposes 12 years
The Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crimes Court accepted Vusimuzi 'Cat' Matlala's guilty plea over the R360 million SAPS Medicare24 tender on 1 July 2026 but rejected the agreed sentence - 15 years with seven suspended, an effective eight years - as too lenient. Magistrate Ignatius du Preez found the offences 'were committed out of greed, and for no other reason' and proposed 12 years' direct imprisonment instead. The conviction and sentence cannot be finalised until Matlala, his legal team and the NPA decide whether to accept the heavier term or abandon the plea-and-sentence agreement; the matter returns to court on 13 July 2026. Because his section 204 co-operation is tied to the deal, the outcome also affects whether the State can use his affidavit against his former co-accused, most of them senior police officers. The guilty plea itself stands.
OpenDay 130
Suspended SAPS Crime Intelligence deputy head Major-General Feroz Khan, summoned to begin his testimony before the Madlanga Commission, could not appear: he remained in a critical condition at Milpark Hospital after being shot in an apparent assassination attempt outside his Houghton home on Sunday 28 June 2026. His legal team instead argued an application - filed at 11:04pm on the night of the shooting - for parts of his evidence to be heard in camera, citing intelligence-sensitive information. Chairperson Mbuyiseli Madlanga rejected it as fatally vague, saying 'We are completely in the dark. It is vague; I could go further and say it is hopeless,' and that nothing stopped the commission dismissing it on vagueness alone; counsel Advocate Zubair Khan conceded it was not ready and withdrew it, undertaking to refile once his client could give instructions. The commission also rebuked Khan's team for accusing the inquiry of leaks. The lawyers said Khan was sedated and unable to speak, invited the commissioners to verify his condition in hospital, and submitted a J88 medical report and photographs to counter speculation that the shooting was staged. The commission said it would engage Khan's lawyers on the way forward. All allegations remain untested; Khan is presumed innocent.
OpenO'Sullivan calls Mkhwanazi a 'whistleblower with dirty hands' as Aeroton probe wraps
Forensic investigator Paul O'Sullivan told the Madlanga Commission that police infiltration by organised crime is 'nothing new', and turned on KZN police commissioner General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi - the man whose July 2025 briefing triggered the inquiry. 'If you want to be a whistleblower, you must be a whistleblower with clean hands,' O'Sullivan said, alleging Mkhwanazi knew of links between organised crime and senior officers and made unlawful, prosecutable attempts to derail an earlier case. He also alleged that SAPS Colonel Francois Steyn took a R408,000 loan from Czech fugitive Radovan Krejcir into his home-loan account and leaked O'Sullivan's private cellphone records, and that a SAPS supplier gave Louis Vuitton bags to Mkhwanazi and national commissioner Fannie Masemola tied to an overpriced bulletproof-vest contract. All untested allegations; everyone named denies wrongdoing and is presumed innocent.
OpenMK MP Shongwe says Khan offered him R10m to back off; accuses Malema of shielding Khan
Testifying on 30 June (Day 129), MK Party MP Vusi Shongwe told the Madlanga Commission that suspended Crime Intelligence boss Major-General Feroz Khan and his alleged associates tried to buy his silence as he pushed for Khan to account before Parliament's ad hoc committee. He said associates Yusuf Kajee and a man known only as Imran arranged an 8 March video call from a Durban security firm at which a tearful Khan said 'you are suffocating me', and that he was offered a R2 million Checkers security tender or R10 million cash plus two bulletproof BMWs - to be handed over in Sandton on 10 March - which he declined and reported to former president Jacob Zuma, the committee and the commission. Shongwe also said EFF leader Julius Malema was the most vocal in opposing Khan being called to testify. All allegations are untested; Khan and Malema are presumed innocent.
OpenDay 129
Witness: Vusi Shongwe. MK Party Member of Parliament Vusi Shongwe testified before the Madlanga Commission that, as he pressed for suspended SAPS Crime Intelligence boss Major-General Feroz Khan to account before Parliament's ad hoc committee on policing, Khan and his alleged associates tried to buy his silence with a R10 million bribe. Shongwe said that on 8 March 2026 men he identified as Khan's associates, Yusuf Kajee and a man known only as Imran, arranged a video call from a Durban security firm, dRK Tactical, at which a tearful Khan said 'you are suffocating me' and asked why he was after him. He testified he was offered a choice of a R2 million Checkers security tender or R10 million in cash, plus two bulletproof BMWs with tinted windows, to be handed over in Sandton on 10 March - which he declined, reporting it to former president Jacob Zuma and then to the committee and the commission. Shongwe also told the commission that EFF leader Julius Malema was the most vocal in opposing Khan being called to testify before the ad hoc committee. All allegations are untested; Khan and Malema are presumed innocent and have not answered the claims before the commission.
OpenNku changes his account after a 'spiritual leader' chat; Madlanga says he still won't come clean
Resuming on 29 June (Day 128) after a postponement to file a supplementary statement, businessman Tumelo Nku substantially revised his Aeroton evidence - a turnaround commentators called a '360'. He said a 'hard chat' with his spiritual leader had urged him to be honest, and now framed the 2021 bust as part of a 'broader business scheme': he said former deputy defence minister Kebby Maphatsoe introduced him to a man known as 'Alpha', and that arranging the roughly R300 million bust prevented a turf war by keeping the consignment from a rival trafficker. He also suggested Gauteng traffic chief Samuel Mashaba may have wanted to 'take' the cocaine. Chairperson Madlanga voiced frustration that Nku had still not 'come clean'. Forensic investigator Paul O'Sullivan was also at the commission as it wrapped the Aeroton probe. All untested; everyone named is presumed innocent.
OpenDay 128
Witness: Itumeleng 'Tumelo' Nku. Businessman Itumeleng 'Tumelo' Nku resumed his testimony on the 2021 Aeroton cocaine bust with a substantially changed account after a weekend postponement to file a supplementary statement. He told the commission a 'hard chat' with his spiritual leader, who urged him to be honest, had prompted his return, and now described the operation as part of a 'broader business scheme': he said former deputy defence minister Kebby Maphatsoe, a 'distant relative', had introduced him in 2021 to a man known as 'Alpha', and that arranging the roughly R300 million bust had actually prevented a turf war by stopping the consignment reaching a rival trafficker. He also suggested Gauteng traffic chief Samuel Mashaba may have wanted to 'take' the cocaine. Chairperson Mbuyiseli Madlanga expressed frustration that, even with the extra time, Nku had still not 'come clean'. Forensic investigator Paul O'Sullivan was also at the commission to testify as it wrapped up the Aeroton drug-bust probe. All allegations are untested; everyone named is presumed innocent.
OpenCrime Intelligence's Feroz Khan shot in an apparent hit days before he was due to testify
Suspended SAPS Crime Intelligence deputy head Major-General Feroz Khan was shot and wounded on the night of 28 June 2026 in what police are treating as an attempted assassination, reportedly ambushed by gunmen in a Mercedes-Benz in Houghton, Johannesburg, and taken for emergency surgery at Milpark Hospital. He had been summoned to testify before the Madlanga Commission from 1 July over alleged interference in the 2021 Aeroton cocaine bust. SAPS deployed a high-level team - Gauteng Hawks, Gauteng Crime Intelligence and the Political Killings Task Team - and the commission said it would engage his lawyers on the way forward. No arrests have been reported and a motive has not been established; he is presumed innocent of the matters he was due to answer.
OpenTumelo Nku testifies: 'ethical hacker' and foreign-intelligence claims, drug-trafficker allegation
Businessman Itumeleng 'Tumelo' Nku finally testified before the Madlanga Commission (Days 126-127, 25-26 June) on his role at the 2021 Aeroton drug bust. He defended carrying about R60,000 in cash at the scene as money for an unplanned trip, maintained he was an unregistered, unpaid police informer, and described himself as a consultant skilled in data analysis, 'ethical hacking' and cyber-penetration testing who had been paid by foreign intelligence agencies. He said he had told the late Lieutenant-General Mfazi about the R286 million cocaine consignment. A Hawks analyst, 'Witness J', countered that the records showed Nku was 'a drug trafficker, not an informer'. His testimony was postponed to 29 June for a supplementary statement. All allegations are untested; he is presumed innocent.
OpenSuspended KZN Hawks boss Lesetja Senona resigns with immediate effect
Suspended KwaZulu-Natal Hawks provincial head Major-General Lesetja Senona resigned from the service with immediate effect on 26 June 2026, days after turning 60; his attorney confirmed the resignation on 30 June. Senona testified twice before the Madlanga Commission - a three-day stint in late January and a combative return on 19 June represented by Advocate Dali Mpofu SC - and remains under scrutiny over the 2021 theft of about 541kg of cocaine, worth roughly R200 million, from the poorly secured Port Shepstone Hawks office, and over his friendship with tender-fraud-accused tenderpreneur Vusimuzi 'Cat' Matlala. The resignation ends his SAPS tenure but does not end the commission's questions; all allegations against him remain untested and he is presumed innocent.
OpenNational Commissioner Masemola charged by summons with four PFMA counts
National Commissioner of Police Lieutenant-General Fannie Masemola was charged - by summons, not arrest - with four counts of contravening the Public Finance Management Act, tied to a 2024 SAPS health-services tender awarded to Vusimuzi 'Cat' Matlala's Medicare24. He is one of about 13 police members reported to be facing criminal charges in the wave of referrals that followed Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi's July 2025 allegations, with roughly a further 15 subject to disciplinary proceedings. The anniversary reporting was explicit that Masemola faces only the PFMA counts, not the fraud, corruption or money-laundering charges laid against the tender's other accused. The charges are untested and he is presumed innocent.
OpenDay 127
Witness: Itumeleng 'Tumelo' Nku. Tumelo Nku continued his testimony before the Madlanga Commission, describing himself as a consultant proficient in data analysis, 'ethical hacking', consignment and inventory management, and cyber-penetration testing, and saying he had consulted for and been paid by foreign intelligence agencies. He told the commission he was 'still building rapport with law enforcement agencies'. His testimony was then postponed to Monday, 29 June 2026, after a request for time to prepare a supplementary statement. All allegations are untested; Nku is presumed innocent.
Open'Cat' Matlala pleads guilty and turns state witness in the R228m SAPS tender case
Vusimuzi 'Cat' Matlala pleaded guilty to fraud, corruption and money-laundering over the SAPS Medicare24 tender (advertised at R360 million; about R228 million paid) in the Pretoria Specialised Commercial Crimes Court, and concluded a plea-and-sentence agreement with the NPA's Investigating Directorate Against Corruption to become a section 204 state witness against his former co-accused, including senior police officers. The agreement proposes 15 years' imprisonment with seven suspended, and R1 million fines for his companies Cat VIP Protection and Medicare Tshwane; the magistrate's ratification was set down for 1 July 2026. Section 204 indemnity only holds if his evidence is found truthful under cross-examination. The state says the deal could reshape the corruption case against National Commissioner Fannie Masemola and other top officers.
Open
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