Half of the country’s provinces have not had police intelligence bosses for months due to an impasse among SA Police Service (SAPS) top brass on a hiring panel, police crime intelligence boss Lt-Gen Dumisani Khumalo told the Madlanga commission on Wednesday.
The country’s crime intelligence, including the State Security Agency, has been criticised and labelled as “weak” after the 2021 July unrest in KwaZulu-Natal. The unrest resulted in damage to the country’s infrastructure and businesses costing the economy an estimated R50bn.
Khumalo’s testimony at the commission on Wednesday focused on leadership dilemmas in SAPS crime intelligence, which is a crucial division to the commission’s probe into allegations of criminal infiltration and systematic weaknesses in the police.
He told the commission that before police minister Senzo Mchunu on December 31 2024 issued a directive for an immediate halt to filling key positions in crime intelligence there was a “stalemate” between him and deputy national commissioner Shadrack Sibiya.
Khumalo said he had disagreed with Sibiya about panels that would oversee the recruitment for the top posts. Khumalo and his immediate boss, Sibiya, suggested two different panels.
The positions that needed to be filled include provincial heads of crime intelligence for about four to five provinces and vacancies at crime intelligence head office.
Crime intelligence’s main mandate is to analyse crime syndicates and provide technical support for investigations and crime prevention operations.
The posts were advertised but could not be filled last year.
Masemola was briefed about the stalemate issue, but there was no resolution, Khumalo said.
“I maintained my position that the panel I had put together was according to me, in terms of all the legal framework, needs to be supported. That discussion [with Masemola] did not give a way forward. The stalemate remained.
“It is my view that maybe Lt-Gen Sibiya escalated that situation to the office of the ministry hence it informed the decision of halting the filling of posts.”
Khumalo contended he was uncertain whether Sibiya influenced Mchunu to stop recruitments because of the impasse, but that it was his opinion in trying to make sense of the minister’s decision.
Without approved panels, SAPS human resources did not fill the posts until Mchunu halted the recruitment in December 2024.
From then, until President Cyril Ramaphosa placed him on leave of absence in July, Mchunu did not lift the lock on the intelligence recruitment process.
Khumalo described the lack of crime intelligence leadership in provinces to date as “problematic”.
“Those posts include provincial heads of crime intelligence and as we have nine provinces the vacant posts are … between four and five. If you have no leadership in close to 50% of your environment [intelligence] in the country indeed then you have a problem,” he said.
Hiring within intelligence has been a controversial issue. Khumalo faces criminal charges for the hiring of technical support services officer Brig Dineo Mokwele. He was arrested in June and is out on bail.
Khumalo is charged with crime intelligence CFO Maj-Gen Philani Lushaba, intelligence analysis and co-ordination head Maj-Gen Nosipho Precious Madondo, Gauteng crime intelligence head Maj-Gen Josias Lekalakala, technical management services Maj-Gen Zwelithini Gabela and personnel security vetting officer Brig Phindile Ncube.
KwaZulu-Natal provincial commissioner Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi previously testified Khumalo’s arrest was a planned effort by those who wanted the task team disbanded because they feared being exposed.
He pinned this on WhatsApp chats found on attempted murder accused Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala’s phone. The chats show Matlala and politically connected businessman Brown Mogotsi inquired about Mokwele months before Khumalo’s arrest.
The second issue in Mchunu’s letter, regarding intelligence, was the directive to disband the task team. Khumalo, as the team’s project leader, said he had not been consulted about the directive.
Mchunu’s letter remains key to the commission’s investigation as Mkhwanazi testified the minister disbanded the task team to protect criminal cartels. Mchunu has publicly denied the allegations linking him to criminal cartels.
Khumalo said he was “surprised” when he saw the letter on social media.
“It was not a happy New Year’s [eve]. I received calls from 110 people who thought I was their leader. I could not answer any of those people about what was happening.”
He said members of the task team had sacrificed about seven years of their lives and felt their work was not valued because Mchunu, in his letter, said the team “no longer added value”.
He said he received the letter on January 14 from Masemola.
“That was the first time I confirmed the letter was not fake news.”
Khumalo told the commission the task team had been doing well and should not have been disbanded.
Mchunu is yet to testify before the commission.
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