Latest news with #R360-million
Daily Maverick
12-07-2025
- Politics
- Daily Maverick
Mkhwanazi's smoking guns: How two firearms could expose SA's colluding cops, a drug cartel and high-profile murders
A ballistic report allegedly linking an AK-47 and a pistol to a Transnet corruption cover-up murder, and the shootings of high-profile public figures, add weight to the KZN police commissioner's claims of a criminal octopus with tentacles reaching deep into key institutions – including law enforcement itself. An AK-47, a pistol and a deadly attempt to cover up Transnet tender corruption. This is what may lead to arrests for the shootings of several high-profile artists in Gauteng over roughly four years, and the exposure of alleged top-tier state involvement in deep-rooted organised crime in South Africa. Certain police officers say the AK-47 and the pistol are linked to the April 2024 killing in Vereeniging of engineer Armand Swart, who was shot after the company he worked for unearthed corruption related to Transnet and tenders. The guns are allegedly also linked to the shootings of several artists and may shed light on the killings of Oupa John Sefoka, better known as DJ Sumbody, and his apparent bodyguard, who went by the name of Wolter Sbusiso. Both were shot in Johannesburg in November 2022. Sefoka and Sbusiso's murders edge close to suspicions of gangsterism, drug trafficking, state corruption, extortion rackets and criminal networks embedded in private security companies and nightclubs. It appears Sbusiso once worked for a security company founded by arrested businessperson Vusi 'Cat' Matlala. Last year, Matlala was awarded a R360-million police contract that has since been terminated. News24 reported that whistle-blower Babita Deokaran, who was murdered in August 2021, had flagged Matlala over contracts linked to Tembisa Hospital in Gauteng. Last Sunday, 6 July, KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi alleged that Matlala was financially supporting Police Minister Senzo Mchunu's 'political endeavours'. Mchunu has since denied knowing Matlala or receiving anything from him. 'Unprecedented' scandal Apart from those accusations, Mkhwanazi alleged during the press conference in Durban that a high-level criminal syndicate was operating in South Africa. He said it extended into the South African Police Service (SAPS), the Police Ministry, Parliament, prison officials, the judiciary and other law-enforcement authorities. Mkhwanazi, whose security has been beefed up since he made his allegations, also said that a 'drug cartel' headquartered in Gauteng was ultimately controlling the syndicate. If true, it means an internationally operating cartel, with ties to the state and the private sector, is based in the province that also houses South Africa's administrative capital, Pretoria. The unfolding crisis threatens to derail key policing operations and expose even deeper layers of corruption. It could also have an effect on political power. National Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola, who seems to back Mkhwanazi, described the scandal as 'unprecedented' this week and said it struck at the heart of the police. President Cyril Ramaphosa is set to intervene. Bullets and ballistics So far, the saga involves high-level claims, counterclaims and smear campaign accusations – elements often used to conceal state-embedded organised crime. What cannot be refuted, however, is the body count that criminals in such circles produce, often by way of shootings. This is also where Mkhwanazi appears to be in possession of hard evidence. During his press briefing, he referred to the 2024 murder of Swart in Vereeniging. According to an earlier SAPS statement, four suspects were accused in the case, including one convicted of drug trafficking in the UK more than two decades ago, as News24 first reported. An arrest warrant was issued last month for a fifth suspect, Lucky Boitumelo Molefe. Mkhwanazi, during his press conference, referred to one of the detained suspects in the case – Tau Pule, a police officer. 'During the arrest, weapons used in the murder – an AK-47 and a pistol – along with cellphones, were confiscated,' Mkhwanazi said. A ballistics expert from the Political Killings Task Team, created in 2018, examined the firearms. Mkhwanazi said that on 30 December last year, the expert issued a ballistics report 'which linked these firearms with a number of high-profile cases – including [the shooting of] high-profile South African artists – which occurred in Gauteng dating as far back as 2021'. He did not name the artists, but he said suspects in the cases were known and decisions to prosecute them needed to be made. He also alleged that the day after the crucial ballistics report was issued, 31 December 2024, Mchunu sent out a directive to freeze the filling of vacancies in the Crime Intelligence unit and to disband the Political Killings Task Team. The disbanding, Mkhwanazi claimed, was so that Mchunu could shield politically connected members of a criminal syndicate from prosecution. Mchunu has dismissed the allegations. Shootings and 'protection' Mkhwanazi's accusations aside, the facts are that there have indeed been shootings targeting Johannesburg 'artists' – DJs and high-profile figures. For example, actress Tebogo Thobejane was wounded in a shooting in Sandton in October 2023. Among those arrested for her attempted murder is Matlala – whom Mkhwanazi has accused Mchunu of being in cahoots with. Matlala is president of the company CAT VIP Protection, according to its website. It says: 'With over 30 years experience in law enforcement, he founded CAT VIP as there was a need for elite human and asset protection in South Africa.' Aside from Thobejane's shooting, there have been other incidents in Johannesburg, such as the murders of Sefoka – DJ Sumbody – and Sbusiso. They were killed in Johannesburg in November 2022, nearly a year before Thobejane was wounded. Among those who attended Sefoka's funeral was EFF leader Julius Malema. After Mkhwanazi's press conference on Sunday, suspicions and photographs did the rounds suggesting that Sbusiso was linked to CAT VIP Protection. Daily Maverick found photos on Sbusiso's social media profiles, as well as on CAT VIP's Instagram page, showing that Sbusiso probably had worked for the company. A photo dated 2018 shows a man in company attire bearing a strong resemblance to Sbusiso, opening a car door for someone. Another photo on Sbusiso's Instagram page from 2018 shows him in a CAT VIP top, and a 2019 Facebook post shows him standing outside a black car with what appears to be a CAT VIP logo on his T-shirt. The photo is captioned: 'Waiting my principal [sic].' Gangsterism capital Other photos – interspersed with images of liquor, luxury cars, designer clothing and a Rolex watch – show Sbusiso with Sefoka. Entertainment establishments also fit into this matrix, hinting at potential dangers to patrons. Sefoka was known for the Ayepyep Lifestyle brand, which he and his business partner, Kagiso Setsetse, created. It involved two venues – the Ayepyep Lifestyle Lounge in Menlyn, Pretoria, and another in Cape Town's city centre. Daily Maverick previously reported that 28s gang boss accused Ralph Stanfield and his wife Nicole Johnson were involved in Ayepyep Cape Town. The venue was temporarily closed in 2023 after accusations by Setsetse that Stanfield and Johnson, its general manager, were trying to dominate it. Among the accusations Setsetse made, which Stanfield countered with claims of his own, was that Stanfield was involved in handling security at Ayepyep Cape Town. In an affidavit to police, Setsetse also alleged that gangsters targeted the venue and 'terrorised customers' after it opened in 2021. A legal settlement in 2023 led to Setsetse selling his one-third share in the business. Other shares belong to Stanfield's mother-in-law, Barbara Johnson, and to Sefoka's family. If Mkhwanazi's allegation is correct – that the AK-47 and pistol used in the Swart killing are indeed linked to other high-profile murders in Johannesburg – and if Sefoka's shooting is part of this, it merges gang suspicions with the developing policing scandal. Cartel country In the Western Cape, suspicions are rife that there are crooked cops working with gangsters. This, in turn, ties into the drug trade. For a long time, there have been suspicions in policing circles that figures based in Gauteng import narcotics and pump them through South Africa, with a special focus on Western Cape gangs that act as conduits. Specific suspicions involve luxury vehicles and drug consignments being exchanged between the provinces. There are also long-standing beliefs that politicians and individuals with state ties are benefiting from the illicit trade. Mkhwanazi, during his press conference, made allegations in this regard. A presentation he shared said an investigation involving police officers from KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng had 'unmasked the syndicate which involves Politicians, Law Enforcement (SAPS, Metro Police & Correctional Services), Prosecutors, Judiciary and controlled by Drug cartel as well as Business People'. Mkhwanazi explained that this alleged cartel was headquartered in Gauteng and importing drugs from South America. The drugs often entered South Africa through Durban harbour. Daily Maverick has previously reported that international traffickers prefer using this port when shipping masses of cocaine into the country. Mkhwanazi said that from Durban, drugs were transported to Gauteng where they were processed and distributed around South Africa as well as beyond the country. The critical Crime Intelligence unit crops up here. Its head, Dumisani Khumalo, and six colleagues were arrested late last month on corruption-related charges, which they deny. Mkhwanazi has implied that they were arrested with the deliberate aim of destroying Crime Intelligence. Khumalo's name previously cropped up in a cocaine scandal linked to a R200-million interception in Johannesburg in July 2021. So, too, did that of Major General Feroz Khan, the head of counterintelligence and security at Crime Intelligence. Daily Maverick previously reported that Khan was accused of defeating the ends of justice and bringing the SAPS into disrepute. This related to his presence at the 2021 cocaine bust, which had involved the arrests of police officers. But Khan, via court processes, has countered that Khumalo had used the cocaine interception to try to get rid of him because of his investigations into the abuse of secret funds, with possible links to Khumalo. Police bosses denied that Khan was being targeted for dubious reasons. According to police, the cocaine at the centre of that scandal had come from Brazil, arrived in KwaZulu-Natal and been transported to Gauteng. It was not the only consignment to move from one province to the next. This is the same route that Mkhwanazi said the alleged cartel, with ties to various state authorities and headquartered in Gauteng, was using. Further backing his assertions is what happened in Port Shepstone, KwaZulu-Natal, in 2021. Between the weekend of 5 and 8 November that year, the Hawks offices there were burgled and cocaine worth R200-million was stolen. A Hawks statement released afterwards said: 'The suspects gained entry into the building by forcing open the windows. One of the safes in the office, which were used to store exhibits, was tampered with.' Widely viewed as an inside job, the theft supports Mkhwanazi's claim that corrupt police are involved in drug trafficking. DM
Daily Maverick
11-07-2025
- Politics
- Daily Maverick
‘No smear campaigning' — Masemola warns Crime Intelligence management while filling unit vacancies
National Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola has warned the country's Crime Intelligence management not to get involved in smear campaigns. This comes following the exposure of irrefutable factions in the police and accusations of widespread criminality in law enforcement. South Africa's ceaselessly controversial Crime Intelligence unit has been given a warning and a shake-up. At the same time, it appears that National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola has taken a stand against Police Minister Senzo Mchunu. Mchunu was recently accused, among other things, of being in cahoots with Gauteng attempted murder plot accused Vusi 'Cat' Matlala, as well as issuing a directive, on 31 December 2024, to freeze the filling of Crime Intelligence vacancies. He has denied knowing Matlala, whose name has cropped up in other dubious matters, one involving a R360-million police tender that has since been terminated. Controversial businessman Vusimuzi 'Cat' Matlala along with his 3 co-accused have arrived in court. They face several charges including attempted murder. #KayaNews #CatMatlala TT — Kaya News (@KayaNews) July 11, 2025 On Friday, 11 July 2025, Matlala and three other accused appeared in the Alexandra Magistrate's Court on charges relating to an attempted murder in 2023 in Gauteng. The case was reportedly postponed to next month. It adds yet another dimension to the developing policing scandal that is becoming one of the biggest ever to rock South Africa's law enforcement arena. President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to address the country on this on Sunday, 13 July 2025. This week there were several developments in the scandal. 'Refrain from smear campaigns' On Thursday, 10 July, Masemola announced that vacant senior Crime Intelligence posts were being filled in an acting capacity. This implies that he has now reversed the freezing of positions that Mchunu allegedly ordered at the end of last year. The South African Police Service (SAPS) issued a statement about this on Thursday, saying that Masemola had also addressed Crime Intelligence officers. 'The work of [Crime Intelligence] is fundamental in proactively identifying threats, disrupting criminal networks, and safeguarding our nation,' the statement said. 'The national commissioner emphasised the importance of unity and issued a stern directive to all managers to refrain from any involvement in smear campaigns or activities that damage the integrity and morale of the organisation.' This warning suggests that Masemola believes that smear campaigns have previously destabilised the unit — the SAPS warned of this in Parliament earlier this year. Masemola on Thursday said: 'The stability within the Crime Intelligence environment is non-negotiable for maintaining broader national stability.' During his meeting with Crime Intelligence managers, Masemola also introduced them to their acting national boss, Major-General Solomon Makgato, whose appointment was announced earlier this week. 'Targeted for cleaning up' Makgato takes over from Dumisani Khumalo, who was arrested at the end of June along with six colleagues over allegations of an irregular appointment in Crime Intelligence. They have denied the accusations. Daily Maverick previously reported that about four months before Khumalo and his colleagues were arrested, the SAPS had warned Parliament that he was being targeted because he was cleaning up the unit, which has a history involving corruption accusations. This alleged targeting was in the form of accusations, spread via the media and social media, that Khumalo was appointing people aligned with him. That is roughly what he was arrested for at the end of June. Last week, on Sunday, 6 July, KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi also made a series of exceptionally serious allegations about Crime Intelligence and broader policing during a press conference. The accusations that Police Minister Mchunu now faces also stem from Mkhwanazi. Masemola, meanwhile, based on his actions and statements this week, appears to back Mkhwanazi. During his press conference about a week ago, Mkhwanazi inferred that the Crime Intelligence unit may have been intentionally imploded. He therefore implied that the arrests of Khumalo and his six colleagues may not have been the result of clean policing. According to Mkhwanazi, in the run-up to the arrests, Crime Intelligence members released classified documents to a Member of Parliament who registered a criminal case based on those in Gauteng. The MP, Mkhwanazi alleged, also asked Mchunu to assign 'someone else' to the dockets, which ended up with the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (Idac). Idac had indeed carried out the arrests of Khumalo and his six colleagues. This week, Idac told Daily Maverick it would not yet respond to Mkhwanazi's allegations. 'Whistleblower worries, a cartel and guns' Following the Crime Intelligence arrests, there had been public calls for the suspension of Khumalo and his colleagues. Of this, Mkhwanazi had alleged: 'It's a call that is putting more pressure to make sure that Crime Intelligence is handed over to the criminal syndicate. 'That's what it's about.' He had also spoken about individuals styling themselves as whistleblowers when their intention was perhaps to make certain individuals look bad. Some of the other highly concerning accusations Mkhwanazi made included that there is a high-level criminal syndicate operating in this country and that it extends into the SAPS, the Police Ministry, Parliament, official prison structures, the judiciary and other law-enforcing authorities. He alleged that a drug cartel, headquartered in Gauteng, ultimately controlled this syndicate. Mkhwanazi made various other claims. They included that firearms used in a 2024 Gauteng murder were linked to previous cases in which high-profile individuals had been targeted in that province. He said the suspects in those cases were known, and honest prosecutors needed to step up and ensure that arrests were carried out. 'Damaging claims' South Africa's judiciary on Thursday reacted to Mkhwanazi. 'He alleged collusion, amongst others, between the judiciary and criminals,' a statement read. 'Such claims, made without substantiation, are extremely damaging to public confidence in the independence and integrity of our courts — a fundamental pillar of our constitutional democracy.' Mkhwanazi and Masemola were called on to lodge formal complaints with the Judicial Service Commission and the Magistrates Commission. Chief Justice Mandisa Maya said the judiciary was committed to accountability and upholding the law. 'If any person, including Lieutenant-General Mkhwanazi, has credible evidence of unlawful or unethical conduct committed by a member of the judiciary, they are urged to report such matters to the legally mandated structures of the state,' she said. 'Unsubstantiated allegations, however, regrettably undermine the administration of justice and weaken public trust in our institutions, which are essential to upholding our constitutional democracy.' DM
eNCA
11-07-2025
- Politics
- eNCA
Public Protector probes Police Minister Senzo Mchunu
JOHANNESBURG - The Public Protector is investigating a range of allegations against Police Minister, Senzo Mchunu. The probe comes as a result of explosive claims of corruption and political meddling made by KZN Police Commissioner, Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi. African Transformation Movement leader in Parliament, Vuyo Zungula, lodged the complaint with the Office of the Public Protector. Chief among the issues the Public Protector is investigating is whether or not Mchunu misled Parliament about the nature of his relationship with North West businessman, Brown Mogotsi. The office will also look into whether the police minister acted improperly by enabling Mogotsi and another tenderpreneur, Vusi 'Cat' Matlala to interfere in police operations. Other matters to be scrutinised include the instruction to disband the political killings task team; Mchunu's possible hand in delaying and derailing cases to protect the accused; and a R360-million contract the SA Police Service awarded to Matlala.
eNCA
09-07-2025
- Politics
- eNCA
Mchunu denies links to Mogotsi and Matlala
JOHANNESBURG - Police Minister Senzo Mchunu says he's never met Vusi 'Cat' Matlala. KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner, Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, has claimed that Matlala had influence with the minister and sought to dismantle the political killings task team. Matlala was awarded a R360-million health services tender last year. Mchunu has also distanced himself from Oupa 'Brown' Mogotsi, saying he knows him as a comrade but not as an associate.
eNCA
06-07-2025
- eNCA
WATCH: Mkhwanazi makes explosive allegations against police minister
KZN Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi DURBAN - KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi made a series of damning allegations against Police Minister, Senzo Mchunu, and Deputy National Commissioner for Crime Detection, Shadrack Sibiya. Mkhwanazi revealed that evidence found on the phone of accused underworld figure Vusimuzi 'Cat' Matlala links the minister to unauthorised communications through an associate, Brown Mogotsi. Mkhwanazi says Matlala, who was arrested in May for attempted murder, had been awarded a R360-million police contract. Mkhwanazi also claims to have evidence of police involvement in high-profile crime syndicates.
