Author: Kgaogelo Magolego
Former Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC) head Andrea Johnson came under further scrutiny at the Madlanga Commission, where commissioners questioned the legality and motives behind the arrests and prosecutions of senior police officials. Johnson was pressed to concede that there was no sound legal basis for charging suspended National Police Commissioner Major-General Fannie Masemola alongside alleged underworld kingpin Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala and other accused persons. The commission heard that Johnson and her team were aware that charging Masemola alongside Matlala and the other accused could create the impression that the national commissioner was implicated in the alleged corruption surrounding a…
A 47-year-old man from Boschkop may face jail time for attempted murder if convicted of deliberately infecting his girlfriend with HIV. The man appeared in the Pretoria Magistrates’ Court, where his case was postponed to 3 August 2026. The State alleges that the accused and the complainant were in a relationship between October 2025 and June 2026, during which he allegedly falsely claimed to be HIV-negative despite knowing that he was infected. He allegedly infected the woman during their relationship. NPA Gauteng spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana said the arrest in the landmark case followed an alleged admission by the man to…
Under-fire Independent Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC) head Andrea Johnson has apologised to Brigadier Dineo Mokwele, the former BMW mechatronics engineer who was appointed to the SAPS as a brigadier and later charged by IDAC alongside Crime Intelligence boss Dumisani Khumalo and five others. IDAC accused them of manipulating police recruitment processes to secure Mokwele’s appointment with the intention of later stealing funds from the SAPS Crime Intelligence unit. Among the lengthy list of charges in the unprecedented case are corruption, fraud and state capture. On her third day on the witness stand at the Madlanga Commission on Thursday, Johnson was…
The Madlanga Commission of Inquiry has sharply questioned the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption’s (IDAC) decision to investigate allegations against Crime Intelligence Head Major-General Dumisani Khumalo and other senior South African Police Service (SAPS) officials. During another day of testimony, IDAC Head Advocate Andrea Johnson acknowledged under cross-examination that allegations made by National Coloured Congress (NCC) leader and Member of Parliament Fadiel Adams had not been substantiated. The commission also rejected Johnson’s explanation that the controversial investigations and subsequent prosecutions resulted from incompetence or a misinterpretation of the law. Johnson referred to a letter from Police Minister Senzo Mchunu requesting that…
South Africa is the latest country to join the push for reparations for the grave crimes of slavery and colonialism. African governments and their counterparts in the diaspora are mounting the strongest-ever campaign for accountability for both colonialism and slavery, which Western powers perpetrated over centuries. South Africa has endorsed the campaign led by Ghanaian President John Mahama, despite fierce resistance from European countries. South Africa’s experience in negotiating peace in instances such as its own transition from apartheid to a mass-based democracy, as well as in Sudan, Zimbabwe, Mozambique and the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), is widely expected…
South Africa is prepared to deal with any cases of the Ebola virus should they be detected within its borders. Health Minister Aaron Motsoaledi made the assertion during a media briefing in Pretoria, where he said the government is particularly concerned about the current Bundibugyo strain identified in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, for which there is currently no approved vaccine. “Yes, we are worried, very worried about Ebola, especially the Bundibugyo strain, because it doesn’t have any vaccine whatsoever, whereas the other strains do have a vaccine, and that’s what is worrying us. Theoretically, yes, it can go…
The National Treasury has warned that, if left unchecked, non-compliance by municipalities could lead to the collapse of businesses, including state entities. The warning follows a decision to withhold funds from 69 municipalities across several provinces for various breaches of regulations. The Treasury said during a media briefing in Pretoria that among the entities that faced collapse as a result of non-payment by municipalities were two water boards, which have since been paid and are now financially stable. The affected municipalities have been instructed to take immediate remedial action, including providing documentation to support any claims they make, as well…
EFF leader Julius Malema has dug in his heels, insisting that his relationship with suspended deputy head of crime intelligence Major-General Feros Khan is normal and that there was nothing untoward about their dealings. Malema’s denial is contained in an affidavit he deposed to the Madlanga Commission in response to allegations made against him based on Khan’s WhatsApp chats. The commission has heard evidence alleging that Major-General Feros Khan used Malema in an attempt to “trick” the then Inspector-General of Intelligence, Setlhomamaru Isaac Dintwe, into making false statements in 2021. According to the chats presented by Evidence Leader before the…
The Madlanga Commission continues to comb through the WhatsApp messages of Major-General Feros Khan, the suspended deputy head of crime intelligence, while he remains bedridden in hospital after being shot. Evidence leader Adila Hassim used the chats to demonstrate how Khan allegedly used his influence within the police and other government departments to enrich himself and his associates. In one of the messages, Khan suggests to his associate Ismail Vally, who owns Kaizen Motor Spares, that they had undercharged in their bid for a police car parts tender that was being managed and adjudicated by the National Treasury. He suggested…
It has been exactly a year since KZN Police Commissioner Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi delivered an explosive media briefing exposing political interference, corruption within the SAPS, as well as the alleged capture of South Africa’s criminal justice system by drug cartels. Among the developments since then are the following: Probes President Cyril Ramaphosa established a commission of inquiry, which has become known as the Madlanga Commission, named after its chairperson, Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga. Parliament is also investigating the allegations. To this end, it has established a multi-party ad hoc committee with the power to subpoena witnesses. Suspensions The President placed Police…