By Johnathan Paoli
Sergeant Fannie Nkosi told the Madlanga Commission on Tuesday that he shared messages about KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi with businessman Steve Motsumi out of concern for Mkhwanazi’s mental health.
Nkosi said his relationship with Motsumi and their shared regard for Mkhwanazi had influenced how information was exchanged between them.
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The commission’s chief evidence leader, Advocate Matthew Chaskalson (SC), asked: “So you and Motsumi are fans of Lieutenant-General Mkhwanazi?”
“Too much. Motsumi loved Mkhwanazi to the end,” Nkosi replied.
The testimony formed part of questioning into Nkosi’s practice of sharing sensitive information, including WhatsApp messages and media reports, with people outside formal police structures.
Nkosi admitted that he had forwarded a screenshot of a message from Mkhwanazi, which included a link to a song by rapper Tupac Shakur, to Motsumi.
While Nkosi initially suggested the exchange was harmless, saying it was simply “music sharing”, Chaskalson challenged that explanation.
He said that the message had been sent shortly after the arrest of Crime Intelligence head Lieutenant-General Dumisani Khumalo and appeared to carry a deeper meaning.
Chaskalson said that the song, “Last Motherfucker Breathin”, suggested it could be interpreted as a “last man standing” message amid factional tensions within the police.
Nkosi denied that, insisting there was no hidden meaning. “I shared the screenshot with Steve Motsumi because I was concerned about Mkhwanazi’s emotional state,” he said.
He added that Motsumi had a personal interest in Mkhwanazi’s wellbeing because of their shared close regard for him.
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Under further questioning, however, Nkosi introduced another explanation, saying he had shared the message to prove a point in a separate conversation about music preferences, namely that “even Mkhwanazi listens to Tupac Shakur”.
The evidence leaders suggested Nkosi’s account lacked consistency.
The commission also heard that Nkosi had regularly shared information relating to investigations involving Mkhwanazi with Motsumi.
“Motsumi and I are friends of General Mkhwanazi. We share a lot of investigations looking into Mkhwanazi with him,” Nkosi said.
Chaskalson pressed Nkosi on whether that amounted to an improper flow of information to a civilian with no official role in law enforcement.
Nkosi maintained that his actions were not intended to influence any outcome, but struggled to provide a clear explanation for why Motsumi had been included in the communications.
Earlier in the morning, proceedings were briefly delayed after Nkosi’s legal representative, advocate Hartley Ngoato, raised concerns that his client had been approached and documents inserted into his file in his absence.
Ngoato said he was “caught by surprise” and questioned how he could properly guide his client under those circumstances.
Chaskalson conceded that it had been inappropriate for an attorney to engage Nkosi without his lawyer present, telling the commission there was “no ill intent” and assuring it that the situation would not be repeated.
The commission continues.