General Khomotso Phahlane and the cost of false testimony

Daily Maverick has approached Parliament after former acting police commissioner, Khomotso Phahlane, testified before the parliamentary ad hoc committee investigating allegations made by Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, that journalist Marianne Thamm had attended a braai at the home of controversial investigator Paul O’Sullivan – the implied purpose of the gathering was, allegedly, to orchestrate a smear campaign.

Phahlane, who was dismissed in 2020, told the ad hoc committee on 14 January 2026 that the meeting had taken place either “the end of 2016 or the beginning of 2017”.

“I cannot recall the exact date or month, there was a meeting that took place at Mr Paul O’Sullivan’s house, the former house of well-known Mr Radovan Krejcir, whereby Mr Paul O’Sullivan was chairing this meeting and among other people present were Robert McBride, Mandlakayise Mahlangu, Cedrick Nkabinde, Sarah-Jane Trent, Candice from Crime Intelligence, Mr Shadrack Sibiya, two white male representatives, one from AfriForum and one from the DA, one white lady journalist and one black male, who was busy preparing fire for the braai. This white lady journalist is Marianne Thamm…”

At the time, as evidenced in a video of proceedings (see from 8:01:00), Phahlane was quoting from an affidavit of police ministry chief of staff, Cedrick Nkabinde, which had been deposed in support of a previous application.

Not there

Daily Maverick’s legal representative, Charl du Plessis, wrote to committee chair, Soviet Lekganyane, on 22 January, placing on record that Thamm had never attended such a gathering.

Later in his testimony, Phahlane claimed that O’Sullivan and (former Independent Police Investigative Directorate executive director) Robert McBride had employed the services of specific journalists to run a “smear campaign” against him.

Aside from Thamm, the journalists he named were Abram Mashego, Karyn Maughan, Graeme Hosken and Pieter-Louis Myburgh. Still, as the recording showed, Phahlane repeatedly mentioned Thamm.

According to Phahlane, a judge had authorised the interception of cellphone communications involving O’Sullivan’s associate Sarah-Jane Trent – which, Phahlane testified, was how he knew the identities of the journalists.

Appeal to the chair

Du Plessis in his letter to Parliament noted it was ultimately Lekganyane – in his role as the chair of the Ad Hoc Committee to Investigate Allegations made by Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi – who was responsible for correcting Phahlane’s error.

“The statements by General Phahlane have led to a predictable torrent of social media abuse and threats being directed at Ms Thamm and her family,” Du Plessis wrote.

Given the seriousness of the allegations, Du Plessis requested that Phahlane “provide evidence to the committee” of Thamm’s reported sojourn to the former home of Krejcir (which O’Sullivan, famously, had bought from the Czech mob boss in 2015).

Failing the provision of such evidence, including “any CCTV footage” that had “purportedly” been obtained, Du Plessis requested that Lekganyane consider demanding from Phahlane “a retraction and apology” to Thamm.

In the early evening of 3 February 2026, almost two weeks after Du Plessis sent his letter to Lekganyane, he received a response from the “content adviser” to the portfolio committee on police, Nicolette van Zyl-Gous.

“The communication is hereby acknowledged,” Van Zyl-Gous informed Daily Maverick’s attorney, “and I confirm that the letter has been brought to [Lekganyane’s] attention when first received.”

Daily Maverick has approached Phahlane for a response. We will continue to follow developments on this story. DM