By Johnathan Paoli
Crime Intelligence boss Lieutenant General Dumisani Khumalo has blown the lid on the so-called “Big Five” cartel, a powerful network with its headquarters in Gauteng, links to top politicians and even the police minister.
Testifying before the Madlanga Commission in Pretoria, Khumalo named Vusumuzi ‘Cat’ Matlala and Katiso Molefe among its key figures, warning that the cartel’s syndicates operate nationwide.
“The Big Five has already penetrated the political sphere. There are documented cases of high-profile connections, with senior politicians alleged to be complicit or willfully blind to the syndicate’s operations,” Khumalo told the commission, adding that main business of cartel was drug smuggling and other criminal enterprises.
Khumalo linked the resurgence of political killings to cartel influence, arguing that assassinations no longer follow traditional election cycles.
Instead, councillors are increasingly targeted after rejecting cash offers to sway coalition votes.
“For the first time, killings are tied directly
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