Senior Crime Intelligence officer Feroz Khan appears in the Kempton Park Magistrates’ Court on 11 May 2026. He faces charges in an illicit precious metals case. (Photo: Gallo Images / OJ Koloti) Embattled Crime Intelligence officer Feroz Khan has been the target of a shooting in Johannesburg, which police are investigating as an attempted assassination.
The South African Police Service (SAPS) said early on Monday, 29 June 2026 that Khan had been shot in Houghton – where he has a home – during the previous evening.
The police did not detail the extent of his wounds, but Newzroom Afrika reported that he was shot twice in the abdomen and was in a critical condition.
Madlanga Commission matters
Khan’s name has been referenced several times during the Madlanaga Commission of Inquiry, which is investigating accusations that a drug cartel has infiltrated the state, and he was summoned to testify before it on Wednesday, 1 July.
The commission planned to ask about various issues, including his ties to EFF leader Julius Malema and tobacco executive Mohamed “Mo” Sayed.
It also wanted to know more about Khan and North West businessman and ANC fixer Brown Mogotsi, who faces charges for allegedly staging his own attempted assassination several months ago in November.
Last month, Khan was arrested in an illicit precious metals case, and his electronic devices were seized.
In a failed court bid to have these devices returned, Khan said that the information on them could put people’s lives at risk.
‘No resource will be spared’
According to the SAPS statement on Monday, teams investigating Khan’s shooting include the Gauteng Hawks, Crime Intelligence and the detective service.
The acting national police commissioner, Lieutenant-General Puleng Dimpane, directed the Political Killings Task Team to join the investigation “to ensure that every possible lead is pursued and that those responsible are brought to book”.
Dimpane also condemned the attack and assured the public that “no resource will be spared in identifying, tracing and arresting those responsible”.
The SAPS pointed out that Khan was expected to testify before the Madlanga Commission this week, on 1 July.
“While SAPS is aware of public speculation regarding the timing of the attack, it is premature and irresponsible to speculate on any possible motive or to conclude that the incident is linked to his anticipated appearance before the Commission. Detectives will follow evidence wherever it leads,” it said.
“The South African Police Service views any attempt to intimidate, silence or attack any individual involved in judicial processes in the most serious light and any attempt to interfere with the administration of justice or the work of the commission will be met with the full might of the law.”
Other shootings
Some witnesses testifying before the Madlanga Commission have applied to do so under pseudonyms and without showing their faces, due to security concerns.
Marius van der Merwe, who was a witness before the commission and who testified under the alias Witness D, was murdered in Brakpan in December last year.
In reaction to his killing, President Cyril Ramaphosa said: “As government, we will redouble our efforts to protect whistleblowers, including witnesses before the Madlanga Commission and the Commission itself, as they serve the nation with bravery in the face of criminal threats.”
Wiandre Pretorius was identified as a person of interest in Van Der Merwe’s killing.
Pretorius took his own life earlier this year.
His possible ties to Khan formed one of the issues the Madlanga Commission planned to ask Khan about. DM