Allegations of Police Corruption in Gauteng Surface as Crime Intelligence Head Testifies

Crime Intelligence head Lieutenant-General Dumisani Khumalo has made alarming claims that nearly all police members in Gauteng are collaborating with criminal cartels. His testimony before Parliament’s Ad Hoc Committee has raised serious concerns regarding the infiltration of criminal syndicates into the justice system, a problem that the committee is investigating following explosive statements made last year by KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi.

Khumalo detailed a counterintelligence operation initiated after the murder of Arman Swart, an engineer from Vereeniging. The investigation began to gain traction only after a prosecutor raised red flags about the case in a letter sent to the provincial and national police commissioners on August 5, 2024. “The letter highlighted threats faced by the investigating officers. One of the accused was a former SAPS warrant officer, who was identified as a ‘hit organiser’ for this organised crime syndicate,” Khumalo testified.

The prosecutor also revealed that a critical ballistics report, linking suspects to the firearm used in Swart’s murder, had been intentionally omitted from the case file. Further allegations surfaced that officials within the police were working to destabilise the investigation, prompting Khumalo to register a counterintelligence project on August 29.

As the situation unfolded, Khumalo stated that the challenges to his operation became apparent when he merged his team with the Gauteng organised crime investigation to form “GCI Ops.” Given the initial risk assessment that suggested high-level SAPS officials were involved in the threats against the investigation, he chose to seek assistance from the KwaZulu-Natal political killings task team (PKTT) instead of using local Gauteng resources.

“During our analysis and threat assessment, it became clear that almost the entire SAPS infrastructure in Gauteng was working for the cartel,” Khumalo stated. In response to this critical situation, a combat team from the PKTT, along with a special task force from outside Gauteng, was brought in to ensure the operation was not compromised.

Khumalo illustrated the alarming depth of the corruption by mentioning instances where cartel members were seen wearing official SAPS combat uniforms. “Highly trained combat members of the SAPS in Gauteng are moonlighting — working for syndicates outside their official hours,” he revealed. He recounted two specific occasions where Gauteng teams, purportedly assisting the investigation, were actually acting in concert with cartel members.

Notably, on December 6, 2024, another operation took place to arrest Katiso “KT” Molefe, who is accused of ordering the hit on Swart, and to question Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala regarding a parallel kidnapping case. For this operation, a different team was deployed as the Gauteng officers had been compromised. “The reason was that, during analysis and a threat and risk assessment, it had come out that almost the whole of SAPS in Gauteng is working for a cartel,” Khumalo explained.

Khumalo clarified the role of the KZN-based PKTT, noting that their involvement was only for two and a half weeks for specific operations. He remarked on the misrepresentation of their role, stating, “The PKTT has suffered, and continues to suffer, for providing that assistance. It created the false impression that the PKTT was overstepping its mandate to investigate the cartel, when in reality, they were brought in solely to neutralise the internal threat and provide security because the local teams could not be trusted.”

These allegations come at a crucial time for South Africa's law enforcement agencies, raising urgent questions about integrity, accountability, and the ongoing battle against organised crime. As Khumalo's testimony continues to unfold, the implications for Gauteng’s police force and wider societal safety are profound, challenging the very foundations of public trust in the justice system. The implications of these revelations could lead to significant changes in how the SAPS operates amidst claims of systemic corruption.

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