The Ad Hoc Committee to Investigate Allegations made by the South African Police Service’s (SAPS) KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General (Lt Gen) Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, on Friday concluded its two-day engagement with Lt Gen Dumisani Khumalo, who is head of crime intelligence in the SAPS.
Lt Gen Khumalo appeared before the committee as part of the second phase of oral evidence, during which the committee is engaging with senior current and former SAPS officials to test the veracity, context and implications of the allegations that have been placed before Parliament.
Lt Gen Khumalo faced questions from MPs about his arrest last year, which he said was an attempt to tarnish his image and the integrity of crime intelligence.
In his testimony before the committee, the Lt Gen also alleged that criminal syndicates have penetrated the SAPS, especially in Gauteng, saying that almost all police members in the province are working with cartels. He cited counterintelligence investigations where cartel influence was found to be so deep that operational integrity was compromised. However, he could not provide statistics or a percentage of how many SAPS members these allegations referred to.
Committee member Mr Julius Malema asked Lt Gen Khumalo to provide the names of the senior managers and politicians alleged to be in league with these syndicates. Lt Gen Khumalo responded by saying that, as per the legal framework, he is not allowed to identify the subjects of an investigation until that investigation has been finalised.
This response drew sharp criticism from another committee member, Mr Ashley Sauls, who described the statement as “reckless” if evidence is not provided to support it. “To say you are going to investigate after making such a claim is a reckless and irresponsible statement,” Mr Saul said.
Several key issues emerged during Lt Gen Khumalo’s testimony in which he unambiguously supported the continued operations of the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT), countering recent claims that its existence was not needed and was an unwarranted expense. He went on to clarify the legal and procedural foundations of such units, noting that only the National Commissioner possesses the power to establish task teams.
He went on to say that the Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) specifically resolved that the PKTT should remain active. The last meeting of the IMC that he is aware of was in September 2023. One of the resolutions taken was that the task team cannot be dissolved; it must continue.
The committee heard that operational strain deepened following directives issued on 31 December 2024 by then police minister Senzo Mchunu, which froze the filling of senior Crime Intelligence posts and ordered the disbandment of the PKTT. Lt Gen Khumalo said the decision crippled capacity, forced overtime and weakened intelligence-led policing.
He further highlighted that criminal syndicates and cartels are ever-present in the SAPS, operating on the basis of close ties with politicians, law-enforcement officials and business leaders, and leak sensitive information to derail investigations. He illustrated this by indicating how routine WhatsApp greetings between senior colleagues later appeared as screenshots on the phones of criminal suspects, in what he claimed was “name dropping” to suggest inside influence to weaken cases.
In addition, he suggested that the dual citizenship held by some people involved in these cartels makes it easier to them to continue their operations undetected. He further stated that Mr Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala, a central figure in the matter, lied under oath about his citizenship of both South Africa and Eswatini. He assured that committee that another figure whose name has been raised several times in the hearings, Mr Paul O’Sullivan, is “a person of interest” under investigation by SAPS but he refused to provide further details.
Lt Gen Khumalo also told the committee that Mr Matala had fabricated allegations against him concerning the theft of a Rolex watch and a MacBook during a raid at his house. He also alleged that these allegations were made on the instruction of Lt Gen Sibiya in order to have Lt Gen Khumalo removed from his position.
The committee is expected to meet on Monday to discuss housekeeping matters. The ad hoc committee was established in terms of National Assembly Rule 253 to investigate allegations made by Lt Gen Mkhwanazi. It was granted an extension until 20 February to conclude its work.
Rajaa Azzakani
19 January 2026
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