Senior Crime Intelligence cop Feroz Khan. (Photo: Gallo Images / OJ Koloti) | Holding phone. (Image: iStock) | (Illustration: Daniella Lee Ming Yesca) A game-changing affidavit by Madlanga Commission investigator Tshepo Nyatlo is contained in court documents relating to Feroz Khan’s attempt to interdict the SA Police Service (SAPS) and the Madlanga Commission from accessing electronic devices seized during a raid on his Houghton home in May.
On Monday, Khan capitulated and withdrew all actions against the Madlanga Commission in relation to these devices and on Monday night the commission publicly released documents.
Nyatlo confirmed that while the commission never physically possessed the devices seized from Khan’s home, their contents were obtained in a bitlock-encrypted hard drive containing the extraction reports from the SAPS on 1 June 2026.
Mohamed Sayed is a senior executive of Carnilinx, widely accused of having admitted to tax evasion and money laundering in a settlement with the SA Revenue Service (SARS) in 2014 and of continuing to evade tax on tobacco products. During the period covered by the chats, Khan was a close friend of Sayed’s.
Scorcher revelations
Khan’s communications include evidence of Covid procurement violations with the top cop allegedly attempting to manipulate tenders within the SAPS and National Treasury for his and Sayed’s mutual benefit and involving two companies, Cyberia and Smada.
Sayed and Khan allegedly used Smada to facilitate a kickback agreement related to an IT contract between National Treasury and Cyberia, with Sayed allegedly discussing splitting a fee of about R92.4-million equally three ways
Drawn into this dragnet was Lieutenant General Molefe Fani, divisional commissioner for supply chain management, who was suspended in May after the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) linked him to an irregular contract during his tenure at National Treasury.
The tender was for branded masks and Covid-19 test kits.
Nyatlo, in his report, stated that Khan allegedly supplied Julius Malema with the name and address of the complainant in the VBS matter, Anoosh Rooplal, the curator and also that the cop leaked confidential information on numerous instances to Sayed.
Onyx Aviation, a company with which Sayed appears to be associated, was responsible for flying former Ekurhuleni City Manager Imogen Mashazi to London for a weekend trip in July 2022 that was paid for by Ze Nxumalo. Sayed shared passenger manifests of this trip with Khan, Mr Nyatlo reported.
Victorious
Sayed conveyed messages from Malema to Khan with regard to his disciplinary writing, “I forgot to tell you that Ju called me, said that you will not ever resign, no matter what, this is a fight and we will emerge victorious.”
Khan allegedly also supplied Sayed with internal SAPS reports, personnel identities, and details of SAPS jet movements and officers attending high-level meetings.
He is accused of conspiring with the businessman to use SAPS resources to neutralise Carnilinx competitors, Gold Leaf Tobacco and Protobac. Khan had been aware that Carnilinx was not tax compliant.
Political interference
Messages also detail a plot between Khan, Sayed and Malema to orchestrate the removal of former Inspector General of Intelligence Dr Selumanthuro Dintwe. The intended purpose, noted Nyatlo, was to “trap” Dintwe into lying, which would then be used as grounds to demand his removal from office.
Khan wrote: “This should get him to lie. And in return, we can ask for his removal coz he lied” - to which Sayed replied: “Absolutely. He’s gonna deny it and then he’s fucked. Bye bye poes.”
On 11 June 2021, Khan sent Sayed a list of questions intended for the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) to pose to the Inspector-General of Intelligence (IGI) in Parliament regarding his relationship with an alleged drug dealer.
The following day, Sayed forwarded messages to Khan stating “Juju sent me now”, which contained formal parliamentary questions to the Minister of Police and the IGI.
Malema confirmed to Sayed that the questions would be “fired off” the next day, and Nyatlo provided a screenshot of these exchanges as evidence.
The Madlanga affidavit also details a relationship between Khan, Sayed and the late Wiandre Pretorius, who frequently posed as an SAPS member and who survived an assassination attempt outside his Boksburg home only to take his own life at a Brakpan filling station.
Pretorius was implicated in the 2022 murder and cover-up of Emmanuel Mbense. Khan allegedly brokered Pretorius’s employment with Sayed, and three coordinated “busts” against rival cigarette smugglers. Pretorius was also linked to a group that allegedly tortured a suspect to death.
Procurement and tenders
The extraction report suggests Malema attempted to influence SAPS procurement through Khan and Sayed in August 2021 with the businessman forwarding to Khan a document regarding a fleet management bid from Bertobrite, a company which had previously secured government tenders after allegedly paying bribes to the EFF.
Sayed stated that the document came from “Juju” and that Malema “wants us to do it”. Nyatlo highlighted media reports that Bertobrite had previously secured government tenders.
Sayed provided Khan with a digital contact card for Malema in August 2021. Nyatlo’s evidence corroborates reports that Khan attended an EFF Gala Dinner at a table sponsored by Sayed’s company, Carnilinx.
The assassin
Matipandile Sotheni, a former highly trained SAPS member who resigned in 2019 and was recruited to work security for Sayed, is currently behind bars facing charges of murdering Madlanga Witness D, Marius van der Merwe.
The commission has directed Khan to provide a sworn statement and to give oral evidence with regard to his relationships with Sotheni, whether he communicated with the alleged assassin on any matter or whether he used an intermediary to do so.
Sotheni appears on a list alongside other prominent figures such as Malema, Adriano Mazzotti and Sayed, and the commission’s interest in these associations stems from its broader probe into whether criminal syndicates have infiltrated or exerted undue influence over state institutions like Crime Intelligence.
Khan has been served with a notice to appear before the commission on 1 July and to remain in the hot seat until the panel is done with cross-examining him.
He will be given an opportunity to address this information and allegations to the commission. DM
This is a developing story.