Almost the entire Gauteng police service has been infiltrated by criminal cartels, Lt‑Gen Dumisani Khumalo told parliament’s ad hoc committee probing allegations of corruption in the criminal justice system on Thursday.
Khumalo, the SAPS head of crime intelligence and former project leader of the political killings task team (PKTT), again appeared before the committee to corroborate allegations previously raised by KwaZulu‑Natal police commissioner Lt‑Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi.
His evidence introduced new claims of sabotage against specialised policing units and raised questions about the conduct of the anti-corruption unit, the Investigative Directorate Against Corruption (Idac).
ANC MP Xola Nqola, chair of the portfolio committee on justice and constitutional development, said Khumalo’s testimony “corroborates the evidence of Gen Mkhwanazi” and that hearing from him earlier “may have changed our approach to some of the witnesses that we have met”.
Khumalo testified that until December 6 2024, neither suspended police minister Senzo Mchunu nor suspended deputy national commissioner Lt‑Gen Shadrack Sibiya had expressed dissatisfaction with the PKTT’s mandate or operations.
He said the team was abruptly dismantled after a search‑and‑seizure operation at the home of businessman Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala.
He described the disbandment as a co-ordinated effort undertaken without regard for ongoing investigations, active court proceedings or established legal requirements.
He told MPs the disbandment formed the factual basis of Mkhwanazi’s allegations of criminal infiltration of the police.
The testimony further detailed retaliatory measures against PKTT members, including arrests and criminal charges that Khumalo characterised as strategically timed to intimidate and distract.
Khumalo himself was arrested on June 26 2025 by Idac on charges linked to the appointment of Brig Dineo Mokwele as head of technical support services.
He said Mokwele’s appointment followed proper police procedures and was recommended by a five‑member panel he chaired.
He argued that regulations permit the appointment of specialised individuals without policing experience and questioned how such a mid‑level employment matter could rise to the level of complex corruption.
The case was registered at Brooklyn police station and originated from a statement by National Coloured Congress leader and MP Fadiel Adams.
Khumalo also addressed allegations that PKTT members stole a Rolex wristwatch from Matlala during the December 2024 raid.
He testified that Matlala admitted during his arrest in May 2025 that he had been encouraged to open a theft case, but at the time of this admission, Matlala was in possession of the watch. This, Khumalo argued, formed part of a broader campaign to discredit the task team.
The most serious claim advanced by Khumalo was that internal intelligence assessments revealed widespread infiltration of Gauteng police by criminal cartels.
He told MPs that highly trained uniformed combat teams were allegedly providing services to cartels outside official duty hours, with covert operations compromised almost immediately through leaks of vehicle registration plates and station visits on social media.
ActionSA MP Dereleen James pressed Khumalo to clarify whether “almost the entire Gauteng SAPS” was compromised.
Khumalo responded that intelligence flow patterns and operational breaches pointed to systemic infiltration rather than isolated misconduct.
He identified Matlala and murder-accused businessman Katiso “KT” Molefe as members of a “big five” cartel engaged in drugs, tender fraud, contract killings and cross‑border hijackings but withheld other names due to ongoing investigations.
Committee members probed Khumalo on the operational consequences of these breaches. EFF MP Leigh‑Ann Mathys asked whether the PKTT had received any briefings from the inter‑ministerial committee since September 2023.
Khumalo replied that no such briefings had taken place, a gap he said allowed issues such as internal sabotage and leaks to fester without high‑level oversight.
MPs also questioned the role of Idac, the SIU and the NPA in following up on corruption allegations.
Khumalo responded that “the cumulative effect of these actions has been to create an atmosphere of uncertainty and apprehension, making it increasingly difficult for Gauteng Counter-intelligence Operations (GCI Ops) members to carry out their duties effectively”.
In addition, Khumalo testified that former crime intelligence official Col Patricia Morgan‑Mashale, dismissed for failing to disclose a prior sacking from the department of health, had formed WhatsApp groups to leak information and co-ordinate campaigns against police officials.
He presented digital evidence to the committee and argued that such actions endangered lives and compromised national security.
He linked this to broader weaknesses in vetting and oversight, noting that since 2019 more than 50 officers had been dismissed for misconduct, including leaks and corruption, and that the unit’s R2.5bn budget remained vulnerable to infiltration risks.
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