A chilling tale of high-stakes espionage, political manipulation, and internal betrayal has emerged from the very heart of South Africa’s Crime Intelligence. At the centre of this storm is a R45 million surveillance device, commonly known as a "grabber," which was allegedly intended for factional political purposes rather than national security. The scandal, which has been simmering for years, has finally boiled over in the halls of Parliament, revealing a "spy-for-hire" culture that has left the country’s intelligence services compromised and vulnerable.
The primary whistleblower in this saga is Tiyani Lincoln Hlungwani, the former head of finance and administration for Crime Intelligence’s Secret Services Account. In explosive testimony before the Parliamentary Ad Hoc Committee in late January 2026, Hlungwani provided sworn affidavits detailing how he was pressured in 2017 to facilitate a grossly overpriced transaction for the grabber. According to Hlungwani, the R45 million was not just for the device; it was a sophisticated plot to divert state funds to support a specific faction of the African National Congress (ANC) during its pivotal 2017 elective national conference at Nasrec.
The Nasrec Connection: Funding a Faction
Hlungwani’s testimony has shed a harsh light on how the Crime Intelligence secret service account—often referred to as the "Slush Fund"—was allegedly being used as a personal piggy bank for factional battles. He maintained that the R45 million transaction he refused to authorise was meant to fund the ANC conference.
“Intelligence operatives even have a document which points to this matter. It was going to be used to fund this conference,” he told the committee, adding that while a portion of the amount was to buy the grabber, the remainder was to be siphoned off for political campaigning.
The "grabber" device itself is a powerful piece of technology capable of intercepting mobile communications and tracking locations. While such tools are essential for fighting serious crime and terrorism, Hlungwani alleged that this particular procurement was a "sham." He recalled being called to a meeting at a hotel to meet the supplier and being told to process the transaction immediately. When he refused, citing irregularities and the inflated price tag—which was nearly three times the market value—the backlash was swift and brutal.
The Cost of Integrity: Whistleblower Retaliation
Hlungwani’s refusal to bow to pressure set off a chain of events that led to his eventual dismissal and six years of marginalisation. He described how he became a target "attack after attack" immediately after the Nasrec conference. He was subjected to what he termed "occupational detriment," including a frivolous criminal arrest and multiple disciplinary boards of inquiry used selectively to silence him.
The investigation has also implicated former police commissioner Khehla Sitole. Hlungwani claimed that Sitole had promised "politicians" as a condition of his appointment that he would use state monies to fund the conference for one of the ANC factions. Furthermore, Sitole allegedly refused to release classified documents when the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) challenged the procurement. According to Hlungwani, Sitole claimed that the Minister of Police at the time, Fikile Mbalula, was the one who requested the purchase, citing a "security risk" that many now believe was a manufactured pretext.
A Systemic Erosion of Accountability
The grabber scandal is not just about one device or one official; it is a symptom of a much larger policing crisis. Hlungwani’s testimony revealed that senior appointments within Crime Intelligence were often made without valid security clearances, ensuring that those in power had loyalists who would not question unlawful instructions. This culture of cronyism has allowed criminal cartels to infiltrate law enforcement, particularly in Gauteng, as testified by other top cops.
The technical specifications of the grabber in question suggest it was far more powerful than what was officially required for routine surveillance. Investigative sources indicate that the device was capable of mass interception, potentially targeting thousands of citizens simultaneously. This raises profound privacy concerns and suggests a level of state surveillance that is inconsistent with a democratic society. The "middlemen" involved in the deal are now being investigated for their links to high-ranking political figures, suggesting that this was a deliberate attempt to weaponise state intelligence for private gain.
The Road to Reform: A Wake-Up Call for Mzansi
As the Ad Hoc committee continues its hearings, the grabber scandal serves as a stark reminder of the dangers of unchecked executive authority over policing resources. The Madlanga Commission’s interim report has already flagged several individuals involved in this web of corruption, and the call for a complete overhaul of how intelligence resources are managed is growing louder.
For the citizens of Mzansi, the question remains: how many other "grabbers" are out there, and who is really listening to our conversations? The fight to reclaim the SAPS from these criminal syndicates is far from over. The whistleblowers like Tiyani Hlungwani, who risked their careers to stop the R45 million fraud, are the real heroes of this story. Their courage has exposed a "deep state" within the SAPS that operates outside the law, and the task of dismantling it is now a national priority.
The R45 million spy device is a symbol of everything that has gone wrong with South African intelligence. It represents a betrayal of the public trust and a dangerous move towards a surveillance state. The time for reform is now, before the rot goes even deeper. The grabber scandal is a wake-up call that we cannot afford to ignore if we want to protect the future of our democracy. Justice must be served, and the secret service account must never again be used as a tool for political warfare.
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