Sergeant Fannie Nkosi, information and kickback peddler between ‘Big Five’ and SAPS

Despite accusing the “Big Five” cartel of capturing law enforcement agencies, politicians and even parts of the judiciary, KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi and allies such as Crime Intelligence boss Dumisani Khumalo have been cagey about confirming who actually forms part of the alleged organised crime group.

Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala and Katiso “KT” Molefe, both facing criminal charges, have been publicly accused by the SAPS leaders as being part of the Big Five. Pretoria taxi boss Jothan Zanemvula Msibi, known as Mswazi, who died in 2024, had been named as its leader.

Businessman Steve Motsumi’s name has also often cropped up, but SAPS members testifying at the Madlanga Commission and parliamentary ad hoc committee investigating the allegations have been reluctant to comment on whether they believe he’s a member of the Big Five.

One police officer who might know better than most is Sergeant Fannie Nkosi, a member of Gauteng’s Organised Crime Unit, who appears to have acted as a conduit between alleged members and associates of the organised crime group and the police.

Nkosi returned to the commission last week and appears to have been on the stand for longer than any other witness.

He described Msibi as a father-like figure who raised him and put him through school, and Matlala as a brother. He had visited Molefe’s house and was also in communication with Joe “Ferrari” Sibanyoni, a taxi boss that Matlala allegedly tried to murder.

Never far from his story is suspended deputy national commissioner Shadrack Sibiya, who allegedly used Nkosi, who has been suspended, as a gofer to the Big Five.

The players

Sergeant Fannie Nkosi: A Gauteng Organised Crime Unit member who worked closely with Shadrack Sibiya and was in close contact with several people allegedly linked to organised crime.

Major General Shadrack Sibiya: Former Gauteng Hawks boss and now suspended deputy SAPS national commissioner. A celebrated career cop who is now accused of being in the pocket of organised crime.

Vusimuzi ‘Cat’ Matlala: With a long history of criminal allegations, Matlala became a successful businessman and won a R360-million police tender before it was cancelled. Allegedly tried to bribe a wide range of cops, as well as sidelined police minister Senzo Mchunu. On trial for attempting to murder his ex-girlfriend.

Katiso ‘KT’ Molefe: Linked to a Transnet tender that led to the killing of engineer Armand Swart. Molefe has been described as a businessman and has been charged with multiple murders.

Jothan Zanemvula Msibi, known as ‘Mswazi. A Pretoria taxi boss who died in 2024, Mswazi has been accused of being an organised crime leader and the leader of the Big 5. His brother was the treasurer of the ANC in Mpumalanga.

Steve Motsumi: A businessman whose name has been mentioned multiple times at the Madlanga Commission. Few details have emerged, but Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi has suggested he is “very prominent” in organised crime circles and may be linked to the Big Five.

The Molefe links

Nkosi, a member of Gauteng’s Organised Crime Unit, who originally appeared at the Madlanga Commission as Witness F before his anonymity was removed, had a particularly hard time testifying when he returned last week.

Already struggling to answer simple questions, scrutiny turned to Nkosi’s actions following the April 2024 murder of Vereeniging engineer Armand Swart.

Swart’s assassination was a case of mistaken identity. He worked at a company called Q Tech, where someone had blown the whistle on another company, SK Group, which was selling springs to Transnet at highly inflated prices. SK Group is linked to Molefe.

Shortly after Swart’s murder, police arrested Tiego “Floyd” Mabusela, Musa Kekana and Michael Tau, a police officer who allegedly moonlighted as a hitman. Molefe, one of the alleged crime kingpins, was arrested later in December 2024 for allegedly orchestrating the hit.

That’s where Sergeant Nkosi became involved and began speaking to Ignatius Pheello Mothakathi, an alleged member of the late taxi boss Msibi’s network.

After the arrests, a Hawks officer, identified as Warrant Officer Zungu, who was on the scene, allegedly told Nkosi that Mothakathi might know Mabusela, one of the alleged hitmen. Nkosi then got in touch with Mothakathi.

On the day in question, 23 calls were exchanged between Nkosi and Mswazi, alongside a further 30 calls Nkosi had with Zungu. Through the officer at the scene, as well as a copy of an ID document Mothakathi sent, Nkosi confirmed that Mabusela had just been arrested for murder.

Essentially, Nkosi was giving an alleged member of an organised crime group up-to-date information about a suspect, believed to be an associate of the alleged organised crime group. He never informed the investigating officer of the communication.

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Days later, Mothakathi sent Nkosi CCTV footage of Swart’s murder. Nkosi didn’t ask him where he got it, didn’t inform the investigating officer and didn’t question why an alleged associate of one of those arrested for murder had the footage. He claimed that the case had been widely publicised and the suspects had been arrested, and so felt no need.

Mothakathi had made payments to Nkosi, which he said were for biking lessons. The amount was not revealed.

That wasn’t the only time Nkosi was alleged involved in a crime allegedly linked to Molefe. Days after the murder of Oupa John Sefoka, popularly known as DJ Sumbody, Nkosi messaged Sefoka’s friend Mpho Lekukela to ask why he didn’t “call him to order”.

Molefe has been charged with Sefoka’s murder, along with the same suspects charged with Swart’s murder – Tau, Mabusela and Kekana.

The Madlanga Commission’s evidence leaders and commissioners accused Nkosi of lying when he said he couldn’t remember why he messaged Lekukela, suggesting he knew something about why Sefoka was murdered.

Nkosi not only seemed to try to intervene in or have knowledge of cases related to Molefe. He was recorded on CCTV footage visiting Molefe’s house 10 days before Molefe was arrested for Swart’s murder. He left carrying a white bag that he wasn’t carrying when he entered.

According to testimony, Nkosi’s boss, Sibiya, and SAPS Organised Crime head Richard Shibiri, tried to interfere in Molefe’s arrest, which they have both denied.

The Matlala links

Nkosi also had extensive links with Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala. Police raided Matlala’s Waterkloof Ridge home on 6 December 2024, searching for his kidnapped business partner, Jerry Boshoga.

In the days leading up to and on the day of the raid, Nkosi and Matlala had spoken on the phone multiple times. Testifying at the commission, investigators have said they believed Matlala was tipped off and had moved Boshoga.

Nkosi denied he tipped Matlala off, saying he asked him to hand himself over to answer questions in relation to the case. Boshogo remains missing.

Somehow, Nkosi also had time to communicate with Joe Sibanyoni at the time of the swoop. The day before the raid on Matlala’s house, he texted Matlala’s alleged rival, Sibanyoni, saying “today is Laduma”, but denied claims he celebrated the move with the taxi boss.

Nkosi was also the intermediary between Matlala and Sibiya. In September 2024, Sibiya asked Nkosi to “ask Cat to make a turn”, suggesting he was inviting Matlala to a party. Sibiya has denied this.

Sibiya faces mounting scrutiny following revelations at the Madlanga Commission that an internal SAPS audit report was allegedly leaked to Matlala ahead of the cancellation of Matlala’s R360-million police contract. Sibiya has denied leaking the report, but Nkosi admitted to sharing it with Matlala, saying he saw no problem with it.

He also admitted to sharing documents with controversial businessman Steve Motsumi.

Nkosi received R25,000 from Matlala, supposedly to provide a motorbike escort to a wedding. R325,000 was found in Nkosi’s safe, which he claimed belonged to his brother, who was in the security business.

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Then there’s the impala saga, which includes allegations that Matlala gave Sibiya impalas. Nkosi fired from the hip at the Madlanga Commission, saying in no uncertain terms that Sibiya had lied about his relationship with Matlala.

Sibiya had told him he didn’t want impalas for his farm, which Matlala apparently wanted to deliver, because “I cannot keep them and they die”.

Another contentious issue before the commission was the warrant of arrest for entertainment blogger Musa Khawula, which ended up in the hands of Matlala. Sibiya maintained that it was improper for Nkosi to have forwarded the warrant to Matlala.

But in rebuttal before the Madlanga Commission, Nkosi pushed back, suggesting that Sibiya may simply not recall issuing him an instruction to share the warrant with Matlala.

“I’ve got no reason to lie about General Sibiya, so it is General Sibiya who is not being truthful. To put it in a respectful manner, say maybe he forgot,” Nkosi said.

While Nkosi said he had no reason to lie, he was accused of exactly that at the commission. He had extensive contact with alleged members of the Big Five and repeatedly crossed both ethical and legal lines.

His conduct has echoes of the explosive remarks made by KwaZulu-Natal police boss Mkhwanazi, who alleged on 6 July 2025 that a criminal syndicate involving police had effectively taken parts of the state hostage. The only questions now are: what else does he know, and when will he be charged?

Nkosi is expected to return to the stand on Monday morning to complete his cross-examination. DM