The Madlanga Commission resumes on Wednesday with Crime Intelligence boss Lieutenant-General Dumisani Khumalo expected to return to the witness stand.
His previous appearance exposed troubling links between high-ranking police officers, criminal syndicates, and alleged protection rackets operating within the South African Police Service (SAPS).
Khumalo’s testimony on Tuesday sent shockwaves through the inquiry. He presented new evidence showing how suspended Deputy National Commissioner Shadrack Sibiya and his close associates may have had direct contact with alleged crime boss Katiso “KT” Molefe just days before the assassination of engineer Armand Swart.
CCTV footage played before the commission showed a Hawks officer, Sergeant F.E. Nkosi — a subordinate under Sibiya — arriving at Molefe’s Sandhurst mansion on 27 November 2024 in a white BMW registered to Sibiya’s office. Nine minutes later, he was seen leaving the property carrying a large white carrier bag.
“Unfortunately, the bag was not transparent so we cannot see what type of ‘chocolate’ is in there,” Khumalo said, drawing laughter in the room before adding that investigators believed it may have contained cash or documents.
“It’s not that heavy, but it has some contents. We will use our analytical minds to check what could be carried in such a bag with value.”
Khumalo also revealed that the same BMW had no tracking device, despite SAPS policy requiring all state vehicles to be monitored. Using surveillance data, investigators later traced the car’s movements to other police-linked operations, strengthening suspicions that official resources were being used for criminal activity.
On Tuesday, Khumalo expanded on his earlier statements, producing records connecting Sibiya’s personal protector, Scharnick Stuart James, to over 30 criminal cases.
According to SAPS data, James has 34 recorded cases — including 18 convictions — mostly for car theft and armed robbery. He has also been filmed escorting Sibiya during official duties, including his appearance before Parliament’s Ad Hoc Committee on police corruption .
“The cars move together,” Khumalo testified, referring to the BMW seen at Molefe’s mansion and a white Toyota Hilux registered to James.
“This pattern of movement is typical of a convoy or escort formation,” he explained.
The footage, taken on 30 September 2025, allegedly showed the vehicles travelling in tandem along William Nicol Highway and other parts of Johannesburg.
Khumalo’s evidence has drawn widespread public interest, as it paints a picture of entrenched criminal infiltration at senior levels of the SAPS.
“Professional criminals in syndicates and cartels tend to stay close to higher levels, making it harder for lower-level officers to act,” he said.
The Crime Intelligence boss’s return today is expected to focus on clarifying inconsistencies in the movement of state vehicles and explaining how information about planned raids may have been leaked to suspects.
The Commission’s chairperson, Justice Mandisa Madlanga, is also expected to rule on whether to summon Sibiya for further questioning.
Sibiya, who has been suspended since mid-2025, has denied any wrongdoing.
In a written statement last week, he said, “These allegations are an orchestrated attempt to destroy my career and reputation.”
The Madlanga Commission sits at 10:00 (SAST) in Pretoria and will stream live for public viewing.
The inquiry has become one of South Africa’s most closely followed investigations into corruption within the country’s law enforcement ranks.
