How the ‘Big 5 Cartel’ Allegedly Infiltrated SAPS and ANC Politics, Explosive Testimony Rocks Crime Intelligence Probe

How a Crime Cartel Allegedly Bought Its Way Into SAPS and Politics

South Africa is no stranger to corruption scandals, but this one hits at the very nerve centre of law enforcement. What happens when the people meant to hunt criminals allegedly work for them instead?

That is the picture Crime Intelligence head Lieutenant-General Dumisani Khumalo painted before the Madlanga Commission this week, and his testimony has sent shockwaves across the country.

The Alleged Power Triangle: Businessman, Politicians, and Police

According to Khumalo, businessman Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala wasn’t just another dodgy tender beneficiary he was allegedly the piggy bank for Police Minister Senzo Mchunu’s political allies.

His alleged inside man? Brown Mogotsi, a senior police figure who Khumalo claims leaked classified SAPS intelligence directly to Matlala.

In exchange, Mogotsi reportedly used his influence to derail any criminal investigations against Matlala. That’s not speculation, that’s sworn testimony.

And here’s where it gets even murkier.

Mchunu once told Parliament he didn’t even know Mogotsi. He later walked that back, reportedly calling him a “comrade”. South Africans on social media have already dubbed this “Nkandla 2.0, but with bullets instead of firepools.”

A R360 Million Lifeline and a Fight to Keep It Alive

At the centre of the scandal sits an allegedly unlawful R360 million contract between SAPS and a private company called Medicare 24, owned by Matlala.

When police tried to cancel it, Mogotsi allegedly stepped in to protect the deal but ultimately failed.

Mistakenly thinking that KwaZulu-Natal’s Political Killings Task Team was investigating Matlala, Mogotsi allegedly tried to dismantle the entire unit. Think about that: a police official allegedly sabotaging an anti-assassination task force, not because he feared justice, but because he assumed it was coming for his guy.

Retaliation and Arrests, The War Inside SAPS

Khumalo says once he began exposing the network, he became a target himself. He claims Mogotsi tried to fabricate a criminal case against him. Then, in June, Khumalo was dramatically arrested at OR Tambo Airport, along with six high-ranking SAPS officials.

KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi called it what many suspected: an attempt to shut down investigations into Matlala and his associates.

This Isn’t Just About One Man, It’s About a Cartel

Khumalo went further, linking Matlala and Katiso Molefe to the feared “Big 5 Cartel” a syndicate allegedly involved in drug trafficking, contract killings, and tender fraud.

He claimed that the cartel has already “penetrated the political sphere”, with documented ties to senior politicians. One of them is reportedly Major-General Lesetja Senona, who allegedly leaked further SAPS documents through a commercial partnership involving his son.

If this is true, we’re not just talking corruption, we’re talking state capture by a crime syndicate.

Public Reaction: “How Are We Supposed to Trust SAPS After This?”

Social media has erupted with anger and disbelief:

“We don’t have police corruption anymore, we have corrupt police with their own cartel.” – Twitter user @ThabiM

“This is why whistleblowers keep getting killed. The police aren’t just compromised, they’re operating as criminal consultants.” – Facebook comment

South Africans are asking: Who do we call when the police are the criminals?

What Happens Next?

Khumalo is set to return to the witness stand on Tuesday. If his claims are backed by evidence or if more insiders flip, this could be one of the biggest policing scandals since the days of Richard Mdluli.

And just like during State Capture, the country is once again forced to confront an uncomfortable question:

Is South Africa being governed or is it being managed by the highest bidder?

{Source: IOL}

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