The death of former police minister Nathi Mthethwa comes several days after KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner implicated him at the Madlanga commission, which is probing political interference in the criminal justice system, among other things.
Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, who was the first witness at the commission, said that in 2012, while he was the acting national commissioner, Mthethwa compelled the former inspector-general of intelligence, Faith Radebe, to withdraw the criminal case against former crime intelligence boss Richard Mdluli.
At the time, Mdluli was accused of abuse of the police’s secret slush fund between 2008 and 2012, which included funding private trips and using police safe houses for personal use.
Mkhwanazi testified that he was subsequently forced to withdraw both criminal and disciplinary actions against Mdluli and he termed the actions as the “worst interference”.
Mthethwa was reported dead on Tuesday at a hotel in Paris.
The circumstances surrounding his death are still under investigation and the SA government has confirmed that French authorities are investigating.
During the Zondo commission, which former president Jacob Zuma established to probe state capture, crime intelligence officer Dhanajaya Naidoo revealed that funds from the crime intelligence secret service account were used to buy a Mercedes-Benz for Mthethwa in Durban in 2019.
Mr Matlala seemed to have a special relationship with Gen Khan in reference to the chats that we have seen between Mr Matlala and Brown Mogotsi,
— Lt-Gen Dumisani Khumalo, crime intelligence head
Naidoo also revealed that Mthethwa used the vehicle for only a few months before requesting its return to crime intelligence, citing concerns that journalists were following him.
Naidoo further testified that the car was later moved to Cape Town, where it came into the possession of Mdluli.
Additionally, Naidoo claimed that nearly R200,000 from the same secret account was spent on building a wall at Mthethwa’s residence in KwaZulu-Natal, allegedly on Mdluli’s orders.
On Tuesday, the Madlanga commission reviewed more than 400 WhatsApp messages exchanged between tender tycoon Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala and the suspended minister's associate, Brown Mogotsi.
The chats were presented by the police's crime intelligence chief, Lt-Gen Dumisani Khumalo and were meant to prove that Mogotsi gave Matlala SAPS intelligence information and in return, Matlala paid and sponsored Mogotsi to attend ANC events.
Khumalo also said that Mogotsi enjoyed a special relationship with Maj-Gen Feroz Khan, who is the head of counter and security intelligence within the SAPS.
“Mr Matlala seemed to have a special relationship with Gen Khan in reference to the chats that we have seen between Mr Matlala and Brown Mogotsi,” Khumalo said, adding that more details will be revealed in camera as they are still subject to investigation.
Some of the things that came out of Mogotsi and Matlala's chats were that:
- Matlala paid more than R120,000 for flights for eight people to attend the prestigious Progressive Business Forum gala dinner in Cape Town, where attendees had an opportunity to wine and dine with ANC's top six at proximity, including President Cyril Ramaphosa.
- Mogotsi told Matlala that appointing the police provincial commissioner was “dirty work” that he would be doing.
- Mogotsi asked Matlala for R25,000 to help him intervene in winning votes in two regions.
- Matlala texted Mogotsi informing him that their relationship was one-sided as Mogotsi fails to do the favours that he had asked for.
- A day after a SAPS tender worth R350m, which was awarded to Matlala and later cancelled, Matlala threatened that he would speak out through the media.
Khumalo is expected to reveal more chats between Matlala and senior officials.
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