By Johnathan Paoli
Brigadier Sipho Duma, the acting Gauteng provincial head of Crime Intelligence and a senior officer responsible for tactical intelligence in the province, has died, with the circumstances of his death not yet confirmed, the Justice, Crime Prevention and Security Cluster has said.
“It is with deep sadness that we announce the untimely passing of Gauteng Acting Provincial Head: Crime Intelligence, Brigadier Sipho Duma. The circumstances surrounding his passing are not yet confirmed,” the cluster posted on X.
ALSO READ: KZN SAPS deny Senona was forced out of office, say ‘unusual events’ triggered seizure of state devices
Duma, an operational leader, oversaw all Crime Intelligence components in Gauteng, a portfolio involving high-risk operations and sensitive special projects.
He was credited by colleagues with methodical and demanding leadership focused on operational integrity, according to the cluster’s message.
Duma’s death comes amid heightened public and political scrutiny of policing and intelligence structures, including in parliament, with the ad hoc committee, and at the Madlanga Commission, both of which are probing allegations of criminal syndicate infiltration and corruption in the criminal justice system.
ALSO READ: This is what O’ Sullivan will tell the ad hoc committee when he testifies about SAPS ‘capture’
The cluster said Duma’s work “significantly contributed to the disruption of violent criminal activities in the Gauteng province,” and that he played a central role over several years in unmasking, disrupting and dismantling organised criminal networks linked to violent crime, extortion-related activity and illicit trade.
The cluster also said Duma’s name had not surfaced in the proceedings or investigations probing corruption or criminality.
INSIDE POLITICS