‘No smear campaigning’ — Masemola warns Crime Intelligence management while filling unit vacancies

South Africa’s ceaselessly controversial Crime Intelligence unit has been given a warning and a shake-up.

At the same time, it appears that National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola has taken a stand against Police Minister Senzo Mchunu.

Mchunu was recently accused, among other things, of being in cahoots with Gauteng attempted murder plot accused Vusi “Cat” Matlala, as well as issuing a directive, on 31 December 2024, to freeze the filling of Crime Intelligence vacancies.

He has denied knowing Matlala, whose name has cropped up in other dubious matters, one involving a R360-million police tender that has since been terminated.

Controversial businessman Vusimuzi 'Cat' Matlala along with his 3 co-accused have arrived in court.

They face several charges including attempted murder. #KayaNews #CatMatlala TT https://t.co/WwXAY01e3U pic.twitter.com/rlI9b3cK8x

— Kaya News (@KayaNews) July 11, 2025

On Friday, 11 July 2025, Matlala and three other accused appeared in the Alexandra Magistrate’s Court on charges relating to an attempted murder in 2023 in Gauteng.

The case was reportedly postponed to next month.

It adds yet another dimension to the developing policing scandal that is becoming one of the biggest ever to rock South Africa’s law enforcement arena.

President Cyril Ramaphosa is expected to address the country on this on Sunday, 13 July 2025.

This week there were several developments in the scandal.

‘Refrain from smear campaigns’

On Thursday, 10 July, Masemola announced that vacant senior Crime Intelligence posts were being filled in an acting capacity.

This implies that he has now reversed the freezing of positions that Mchunu allegedly ordered at the end of last year.

The South African Police Service (SAPS) issued a statement about this on Thursday, saying that Masemola had also addressed Crime Intelligence officers.

“The work of [Crime Intelligence] is fundamental in proactively identifying threats, disrupting criminal networks, and safeguarding our nation,” the statement said.

“The national commissioner emphasised the importance of unity and issued a stern directive to all managers to refrain from any involvement in smear campaigns or activities that damage the integrity and morale of the organisation.” 

Read more: Crimefighting continues in face of ‘grave national security concern’ — Masemola, Ramaphosa on shock accusations

This warning suggests that Masemola believes that smear campaigns have previously destabilised the unit — the SAPS warned of this in Parliament earlier this year.

Masemola on Thursday said: “The stability within the Crime Intelligence environment is non-negotiable for maintaining broader national stability.”

During his meeting with Crime Intelligence managers, Masemola also introduced them to their acting national boss, Major-General Solomon Makgato, whose appointment was announced earlier this week.

‘Targeted for cleaning up’

Makgato takes over from Dumisani Khumalo, who was arrested at the end of June along with six colleagues over allegations of an irregular appointment in Crime Intelligence.

They have denied the accusations.

Daily Maverick previously reported that about four months before Khumalo and his colleagues were arrested, the SAPS had warned Parliament that he was being targeted because he was cleaning up the unit, which has a history involving corruption accusations.

This alleged targeting was in the form of accusations, spread via the media and social media, that Khumalo was appointing people aligned with him.

That is roughly what he was arrested for at the end of June.

Read more: Khumalo arrest — cops warned that Crime Intelligence clean-up would spark State Capture-style backlash

Last week, on Sunday, 6 July, KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi also made a series of exceptionally serious allegations about Crime Intelligence and broader policing during a press conference.

The accusations that Police Minister Mchunu now faces also stem from Mkhwanazi.

Masemola, meanwhile, based on his actions and statements this week, appears to back Mkhwanazi.

During his press conference about a week ago, Mkhwanazi inferred that the Crime Intelligence unit may have been intentionally imploded.

He therefore implied that the arrests of Khumalo and his six colleagues may not have been the result of clean policing.

According to Mkhwanazi, in the run-up to the arrests, Crime Intelligence members released classified documents to a Member of Parliament who registered a criminal case based on those in Gauteng.

The MP, Mkhwanazi alleged, also asked Mchunu to assign “someone else” to the dockets, which ended up with the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (Idac).

Idac had indeed carried out the arrests of Khumalo and his six colleagues.

This week, Idac told Daily Maverick it would not yet respond to Mkhwanazi’s allegations.

‘Whistleblower worries, a cartel and guns’

Following the Crime Intelligence arrests, there had been public calls for the suspension of Khumalo and his colleagues.

Of this, Mkhwanazi had alleged: “It’s a call that is putting more pressure to make sure that Crime Intelligence is handed over to the criminal syndicate.

“That’s what it’s about.”

He had also spoken about individuals styling themselves as whistleblowers when their intention was perhaps to make certain individuals look bad.

Read more: Mkhwanazi’s warning — drug cartel, criminal syndicate infest SA law enforcement

Some of the other highly concerning accusations Mkhwanazi made included that there is a high-level criminal syndicate operating in this country and that it extends into the SAPS, the Police Ministry, Parliament, official prison structures, the judiciary and other law-enforcing authorities.

He alleged that a drug cartel, headquartered in Gauteng, ultimately controlled this syndicate.

Mkhwanazi made various other claims.

They included that firearms used in a 2024 Gauteng murder were linked to previous cases in which high-profile individuals had been targeted in that province.

He said the suspects in those cases were known, and honest prosecutors needed to step up and ensure that arrests were carried out.

‘Damaging claims’

South Africa’s judiciary on Thursday reacted to Mkhwanazi.

“He alleged collusion, amongst others, between the judiciary and criminals,” a statement read. “Such claims, made without substantiation, are extremely damaging to public confidence in the independence and integrity of our courts — a fundamental pillar of our constitutional democracy.”

Mkhwanazi and Masemola were called on to lodge formal complaints with the Judicial Service Commission and the Magistrates Commission.

Chief Justice Mandisa Maya said the judiciary was committed to accountability and upholding the law.

“If any person, including Lieutenant-General Mkhwanazi, has credible evidence of unlawful or unethical conduct committed by a member of the judiciary, they are urged to report such matters to the legally mandated structures of the state,” she said. 

“Unsubstantiated allegations, however, regrettably undermine the administration of justice and weaken public trust in our institutions, which are essential to upholding our constitutional democracy.” DM