Ramaphosa suspends spy boss as inquiries make claims of intelligence failures and corrupt activity

President Cyril Ramaphosa has suspended Inspector-General (IG) of Intelligence Imtiaz Fazel following damning testimony from witnesses at the Madlanga Judicial Commission of Inquiry in Pretoria and Parliamentary ad hoc committee.

Both inquiries have raised serious concerns about the integrity of crime intelligence in the country.

The Presidency announced Fazel's suspension on Wednesday night amid an investigation into his conduct, following alarming testimonies about corruption within South Africa's criminal justice system.

He was appointed by Ramaphosa in 2022 and his contract as IG was only due to end in 2027.

The presidency announced that Ramaphosa’s decision comes after Parliament's Joint Standing Committee on Intelligence received a complaint on Fazel’s conduct without specifying the nature of the alleged wrongdoing.

Fazel’s suspension is with immediate effect, pending a probe into his conduct by the committee in line with Section 7(4) and 7(5) of the Intelligence Services Act. 

Section 7(5) stipulates that the President can suspend the Inspector-General if he or she is  being investigated, pending the outcome.

Fazel was appointed by Ramaphosa and his appointment was widely seen as part of the President's broader efforts to bolster state capabilities, particularly within the security sector.

The witnesses at the Madlanga Commission, including KwaZulu-Natal SAPS Commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi and Crime Intelligence head Lieutenant-General Dumisani Khumalo, exposed the infiltration of external forces into the criminal justice system.

Khumalo's testimony was particularly explosive, revealing a web of corruption and undue influence within the SAPS.

He told the Commission that based on his analysis of retrieved WhatsApp chats, Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala appeared to have a close relationship with Major General Feroz Khan, head of counter and security intelligence.

According to his testimony, an alleged associate of Police Minister Senzo Mchunu, Brown Mogotsi suggested bribing someone for a statement, and Matlala responded by instructing him to "arrange with Khan to give him cash if the information he has is worth it."

Mogotsi was described as a peddler of information and he had access to senior ranking police officials.

Khumalo told the commission how Mogotsi's connections to Matlala have raised concerns about potential corruption and undue influence, and that they shared classified SAPS documents. 

He also alleged that Mogotsi leaked these documents while receiving payments from Matlala, tied to ANC events linked to Mchunu's supporters.

The messages revealed a close relationship between the two businessmen, with Mogotsi regularly seeking financial favours from Matlala, including funding for ANC activities. 

Khumalo said Matlala shared a City Press article with Mogotsi on January 12, 2025, titled “A lone robber walks out of the crime intelligence unit with R1.3 million in a bag”. 

He revealed that the police investigation concluded the robbery was "staged", leading to disciplinary action against the officers involved. A captain faced criminal charges, while others faced departmental charges.

The allegations run deep, with Khumalo claiming that Matlala and other businessmen, including Katiso "KT" Molefe, are part of the notorious Big Five cartel accused of infiltrating South Africa's criminal justice system and politics. 

Khumalo's testimony highlighted concerns about internal threats to police operations, allowing external threats to gain traction.

rapula.moatshe@inl.co.za