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Cartel Links Exposed: Khumalo Testifies at Madlanga Commission
Explosive return to the stand
Lieutenant-General Dumisani Khumalo, the head of SAPS Crime Intelligence, has returned to the Madlanga Commission with a new trove of evidence that has left the nation stunned. On Tuesday, he unveiled WhatsApp messages he claims expose how cartels have infiltrated South Africa’s police, political leadership and business circles.
His testimony comes just months after his own arrest in June at OR Tambo International Airport, where he and six senior officers were taken into custody. Khumalo insists those charges were a “strategic takedown” designed to cripple investigations into cartel operations in Gauteng. His presence at the Commission has now shifted attention firmly onto the networks he says operate in plain sight.
Cartel names and collusion claims
Khumalo directly named businessman Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala, alleging he is a key figure in the so-called Big 5 cartel. He described the syndicate’s reach, from drug trafficking and tender fraud to contract killings, kidnappings, and vehicle smuggling across borders.
According to Khumalo, Matlala, together with Katiso Molefe, worked closely with corrupt police officers to stall probes that threatened their operations. He also claimed Matlala paid businessman Brown Mogotsi to leak classified intelligence, undermining Crime Intelligence from within.
Political money trail
The most politically charged part of Khumalo’s testimony pointed to funding within the ANC. He alleged that Matlala helped bankroll party delegates aligned to Police Minister Senzo Mchunu, suggesting cartel money was used to sway influence at internal gatherings and shield criminal networks.
Khumalo told the Commission he could not yet disclose all names linked to these activities, citing the risk to ongoing investigations, but insisted more evidence would be tabled.
South Africans react
The testimony has stirred a strong reaction at home. On social media, many South Africans expressed anger and exhaustion, saying the revelations confirmed suspicions that organised crime has long been embedded in state structures. Others questioned how such alleged collusion could have gone unchecked for so long.
The Madlanga Commission has become another landmark moment in South Africa’s ongoing fight against corruption. Like the Zondo Commission before it, it is pulling back the curtain on how criminal interests may have captured parts of the state.
What comes next
Tuesday’s session is set to continue with further digital evidence, including more WhatsApp exchanges, Khumalo says, which will reveal the depth of cartel infiltration. For ordinary South Africans, weary of corruption scandals and rising crime, the testimony underscores just how high the stakes are.
The coming days at the Madlanga Commission may provide the clearest picture yet of the dangerous nexus between organised crime and public power in South Africa.
Also read: Julius Malema Awaits Judgment in Long-Running Firearm Case
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Source: IOL
Featured Image: EWN
