World Bank anti-corruption expert Albertus Schoeman has told the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry that South Africa’s corruption prevention framework is failing to detect criminal infiltration of the criminal justice system because of weak financial disclosure rules, ineffective lifestyle reviews, and inadequate sanctions.

Testifying before the commission on Thursday, Schoeman revealed that no full lifestyle audits have been conducted on senior South African Police Service (SAPS) officials over the past five years, despite persistent corruption concerns within the police.

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“The gaps in the financial disclosure form’s requirements and the vulnerabilities of a weak institutional framework help explain why no misconduct or unexplained wealth has been detected among SAPS officials over the last five years,” he said.

Instead, SAPS has relied on lifestyle reviews and investigations, which Schoeman said have produced virtually no meaningful results.

His evidence examined whether South Africa’s financial disclosure regime is capable of identifying corruption and conflicts of interest among senior public officials, and what reforms are needed to strengthen integrity across the criminal justice system.

Schoeman said that while South Africa has an extensive anti-corruption framework on paper, the systems intended to prevent corruption are fundamentally ineffective in practice.

His report to the commission states that evidence heard during the inquiry points to “systematic conflicts between the duties of public officials and their personal interests”, including interference in investigations, the disclosure of confidential information to criminal syndicates and the manipulation of procurement processes for personal gain.

He argued that corruption prevention should not focus solely on investigating wrongdoing after it occurs, but on establishing systems capable of detecting conflicts of interest and unexplained wealth before corruption becomes entrenched.

Schoeman distinguished between lifestyle reviews, lifestyle investigations and full lifestyle audits. He explained that reviews are preliminary assessments based largely on officials’ financial disclosure forms, while full lifestyle audits involve forensic analysis of an individual’s complete financial affairs.

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He said lifestyle reviews have significant limitations because investigators rely heavily on information voluntarily disclosed by officials.

According to Schoeman, officials can withhold key financial information, including bank records, making it difficult to identify unexplained wealth.

By contrast, full lifestyle audits allow investigators to access financial records and verify whether an official’s assets and spending patterns are consistent with their lawful income.

His report found that no SAPS officials were referred for lifestyle investigations between the 2021/22 and 2023/24 financial years.

In 2024/25, only five of SAPS’ 823 senior managers underwent lifestyle investigations, all of whom were cleared. None of the cases progressed to a full lifestyle audit.

Schoeman said the figures demonstrated that the existing integrity management system was failing to detect misconduct despite extensive allegations of corruption before the commission.

He also criticised the current financial disclosure framework, describing it as the cornerstone of integrity management but one that contains significant loopholes.

Among the weaknesses he identified were the exclusion of family members from disclosure requirements, the absence of beneficial ownership declarations, insufficient information on when and how assets were acquired, and the omission of several asset categories, including cryptocurrencies, bank accounts, high-value movable property and loans made to third parties.

He warned that these shortcomings make it easier for officials to conceal illicit wealth through spouses, children, trusts, nominee arrangements or associates.

The report also found that South Africa’s integrity management system is fragmented across multiple institutions, including the Department of Public Service and Administration, the Public Service Commission, departmental ethics officers and the Special Investigating Unit, resulting in duplication, inconsistent standards and weak oversight.

Schoeman argued that decentralising verification and consequence management allows departments to “self-police”, creating opportunities for political pressure, institutional capture and inconsistent disciplinary action.

Figures presented to the commission show there has been only one dismissal across the public service in the past two years for financial disclosure misconduct.

He said such limited consequences undermine the credibility of the system and fail to deter officials from submitting incomplete or false declarations.

Schoeman recommended a comprehensive overhaul of South Africa’s corruption prevention framework through stand-alone financial disclosure legislation, expanded disclosure requirements covering family members and beneficial ownership, stronger verification powers, greater automation of the eDisclosure platform and tougher sanctions for non-compliance.

He also recommended introducing civil mechanisms to recover unexplained wealth where officials cannot account for assets exceeding their lawful income, rather than relying solely on criminal prosecutions.

“Where an official’s assets cannot be explained by their lawful income, the most effective recourse is not necessarily a new criminal offence but a civil or administrative mechanism to recover the unjustified portion of that wealth,” he said.

“Non-conviction-based confiscation allows the state to recover assets exceeding an official’s lawful income without having to prove the underlying criminal conduct through which they were acquired, and without the higher evidentiary burden and procedural safeguards that a criminal prosecution demands.”

Schoeman concluded that South Africa had reached the limits of incremental reform and required a comprehensive restructuring of its integrity management framework to prevent criminal infiltration of the public sector and restore confidence in the country’s anti-corruption institutions.

The commission adjourned, with testimony from Witness M, relating to suspended Gauteng Crime Intelligence head Major-General Feroz Khan, set to continue in the afternoon.

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That ripple, a year later, continues to reshape the country’s law enforcement and political landscape.

On 6 July 2025, Mkhwanazi, dressed in Special Task Force fatigues and flanked by armed officers, alleged that Police Minister Senzo Mchunu and Deputy National Commissioner Shadrack Sibiya dismantled the KZN Political Killings Task Team and seized 121 sensitive dockets, effectively sabotaging investigations.

Mkhwanazi’s claims triggered immediate political fallout and the establishment of the Madlanga Commission.  

President Cyril Ramaphosa placed Mchunu on a leave of absence and appointed Professor Firoz Cachalia as acting Minister of Police. Parliament established an ad hoc committee to probe the allegations.

The public hearings of the Madlanga Commission began with Mkhwanazi as the first witness. He warned that if the alleged sabotage of the criminal justice system was not confronted, the system itself risked collapse.

Mkhwanazi pointed to several key figures involved in the alleged capture of the criminal justice system. Among them was businessman and attempted murder accused Vusimusi “Cat” Matlala.

Matlala’s company, Medicare24, benefited from an irregular SAPS health and wellness tender valued at about R228 million. The contract was later cancelled.

Matlala has since made plea admissions to fraud, corruption and money laundering, including that he paid R300,000 to Brigadier Rachel Matjeng to influence the tender.

While the Madlanga Commission was underway in December 2025, Marius van der Merwe, a Brakpan-based security company owner and former Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department official who had testified before the commission as Witness D, was shot dead outside his home in full view of his family.

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In March 2026, Mkhwanazi returned to the ad hoc committee and expanded on claims of political interference, corruption and the alleged abuse of Crime Intelligence resources.

While several of Mkhwanazi’s allegations continue to be tested, the Madlanga Commission has placed Major-General Feroz Khan, the suspended Deputy Head of Crime Intelligence, under scrutiny over untested allegations including procurement manipulation, intelligence leaks and improper links to business figures. Evidence relating to Khan was led in his absence after he was shot and hospitalised, apparently in a failed hit, shortly before he was due to testify.

Over the past 12 months, more than two dozen police and municipal officials have been drawn into criminal cases, disciplinary proceedings, suspensions, dismissals or investigation referrals.  

Among the most senior figures is National Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola, who was placed on precautionary suspension after appearing in court on four charges of contravening the Public Finance Management Act in connection with the Medicare24 contract.

Lieutenant-General Shadrack Sibiya, the suspended Deputy National Commissioner for Crime Detection, remains one of the central figures in Mkhwanazi’s allegations over the disbanding of the Political Killings Task Team and the removal of 121 sensitive dockets. Sibiya has denied unlawful interference.

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Lieutenant-General Dumisani Khumalo, the Head of Crime Intelligence, has given evidence before Parliament and the Madlanga Commission about alleged criminal infiltration within SAPS. Separately, he is before the courts in a fraud and corruption case linked to the alleged irregular appointment of an unqualified civilian in Crime Intelligence.

Major-General Feroz Khan, the suspended Deputy Head of Crime Intelligence, has also come under scrutiny before the Madlanga Commission over untested allegations involving procurement irregularities, intelligence leaks and interference in investigations. He was shot and hospitalised shortly before he was scheduled to appear before the commission.

Julius Mkhwanazi, the suspended Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department Deputy Chief, has been arrested in a case involving allegations of fraud, corruption and defeating or obstructing the ends of justice.

Brigadier Rachel Matjeng and Major-General Richard Shibiri have both been dismissed from SAPS following internal disciplinary processes. Matjeng was dismissed after being found guilty of serious misconduct arising from her relationship with Matlala, while Shibiri, the former Component Head for Organised Crime, was dismissed after being found guilty of misconduct that brought SAPS into disrepute.

Other senior officers, including Lieutenant-General Dr Molefe Fani, Lieutenant-General Lineo Nkhuoa and Lieutenant-General Nonkululeko Edith Mavundla, have also been drawn into the widening fallout from the Medicare24 matter through suspensions, notices or calls for further investigation.

The commission is expected to submit its final report to Ramaphosa by 31 August 2026. The president, however, said this week that should the commission request an extension, he would “consider it”.

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The beating of sticks, the blowing of whistles and the chorus of struggle songs echoed through the streets of Germiston on Tuesday as hundreds of demonstrators descended on the CBD, calling for tougher action against illegal immigration while insisting their campaign should be carried out within the confines of the law.

The protest, organised under the banner of the March and March movement together with the Ilizwe Nathi Political Party, brought large sections of the Germiston CBD to a standstill as participants made their way through the city before handing a memorandum of demands to the city and the South African Police Service (SAPS).

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Many businesses, including tuck shops, salons and informal traders, remained closed for the day, while commuter activity around the Germiston Taxi Rank and Golden Walk Mall was significantly reduced as police maintained a visible presence throughout the march.

Under a cloudless winter sky, protesters carrying sticks and placards gathered from early morning before swelling into a sea of people stretching across several city blocks.

Songs calling for law enforcement action alternated with chants demanding the removal of undocumented foreign nationals from South African communities.

Despite the charged atmosphere, police officers from SAPS, the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department (EMPD) and private security agencies maintained a close watch over the procession as it moved peacefully through the CBD.

The focal point of the demonstration came when organisers handed over a memorandum to police officials at the Oliver Tambo Governance District, outlining demands for increased enforcement against undocumented immigrants.

Speaking after the handover, Ilizwe Nathi Political Party Ekurhuleni President Thabile Sibeko said the march was intended to press authorities to act against illegal immigration while ensuring residents worked alongside law enforcement.

“Today we came to handle a very important issue. We were demanding and requesting the support of the police to go door-to-door and ensure all those that are illegal are removed in our communities. As the crowd disperse from here, the people must go into respective communities along with the police to remove those who are illegal,” Sibeko said.

She stressed that the memorandum was not a call for vigilante action but a formal request for police cooperation.

“The memorandum entailed, actually it was a request to the SAPS, that the people should be given permission to go and remove the illegal immigrants in the communities, but they should do so hand-in-hand with the police. Now, the people cannot do anything in isolation from the police. We strongly encourage that,” she said.

Sibeko repeatedly emphasised that the movement wanted legal enforcement rather than unlawful action.

“When our people go and do any exercise that goes with the law, they must work with the police. No, we can’t work in isolation with the police, given that we are a nation. We are not calling for disorder,” she said.

“We are calling for order. We are calling for a nation that goes forward with order, not chaos, not disorder. In these matters we are complaining about illegality, but we don’t want to perpetuate illegality,” Sibeko added.

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Warning supporters against taking the law into their own hands, Sibeko said those demanding enforcement must themselves remain law-abiding.

“What we are calling for is law. So, equally, we must be a people that applies the law, not who breaks the law. It would make no sense to absolutely complain about lawlessness and be the law breakers yourself,” she said.

Looking beyond Monday’s march, Sibeko said organisers believed the growing turnout reflected mounting public frustration.

“I think the biggest voice that which we have, it’s absolutely the voice of the people. It will send a message to the government, the president, to say the people are standing in one voice. Our dear president, pay attention, because the voice of the people rises above any voice that can ever attempt to speak,” she said.

She described the march as part of a sustained campaign rather than a once-off demonstration.

Sibeko said organisers had informed relevant authorities beforehand and requested police support to ensure public safety throughout the demonstration.

“No, we did not have to apply, but we had to make ourselves known and indicate our intentions of this day. So we called the respective heads of the departments and informed them that this is coordinating. We were doing this and we requested their presence and to make sure that they support us through and ensure that people are safe. Equally, we wanted the illegal immigrants and our people to be safe,” she said.

Ahead of the protest, EMPD said it had increased operational readiness across Ekurhuleni, deploying officers to identified hotspots while warning that any criminality, intimidation, vandalism or attempts by members of the public to conduct immigration enforcement themselves would not be tolerated.

The City of Ekurhuleni similarly acknowledged residents’ constitutional right to protest but urged demonstrators to remain peaceful and obey the law.

While the march itself proceeded under heavy police monitoring, it followed reports of alleged looting at a Spar in Klopper Park on Monday evening by individuals reportedly wearing March and March clothing.

Authorities have warned that any criminal conduct associated with the demonstrations will be dealt with decisively.

By mid-afternoon, as protesters gradually dispersed from the CBD, police remained deployed across the city to monitor the situation and prevent any outbreaks of violence, bringing to a close one of the largest anti-illegal immigration demonstrations seen in Ekurhuleni in recent months.

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The police kicked off the day by swiftly moving in and arresting five suspects who attempted to loot a spaza shop believed to be owned by a foreign national in Hammarsdale in Durban in the early hours of Tuesday.

The swift action came after the leader of the March and March Movement was asked to be firm and act against those who would attempt or cause violence.

Spokesperson of the police in KwaZulu-Natal, Lt Colonel Robert Netshiunda, said one of the looters was caught inside the spaza shop. 

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“One suspect was arrested inside the tuck shop, whereas the four were cornered and arrested as they attempted to flee. The suspects, aged between 14 and 27 years old, will be charged for malicious damage to property and business burglary. They are still being processed and will appear in court soon.

Police in KwaZulu-Natal are urging residents who will embark on marches to refrain from acts of violence, criminal activities, and intimidation.

“As police take to the streets to safeguard the marches, they will be enforcing the law, and no lawlessness will be tolerated,” he said.

Meanwhile, it was not business as usual in some parts of Durban early on Tuesday despite claims by the government that it was a “normal working day”.

It appears that some people are playing it safe by staying at home until they are guaranteed that they are safe to move around and conduct their daily chores.

One worker who was travelling from KwaMashu to Verulam said the foot traffic is not what he is used to every morning when he goes to work.

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“Although the trains and taxis are available, there are not many people to be transported; people stayed at home,” the worker, who asked not to be named, said.

On the protest march front, by 9 am, the protestors were still trying to make their way from various Durban townships to King Dinuzulu Park, where the main march would start and later proceed to the notorious Point Area. 

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Advocate Zubair Khan, speaking on behalf of the general, said: “General Khan is a highly decorated and long-standing senior member of the South African Police Service. He intended this Wednesday at the Madlanga Commission to fully lay bare the involvement of senior members of SAPS in certain offences and criminal activity. He has, in recent months, been targeted by persons intent on tarnishing his reputation, despite his role in rescuing kidnapped victims and tackling narcotics and illicit goods.”

He added that Khan had recently filed an affidavit for the Commission, warning that “blood will spill on the roads,” a prophecy that has now come true.

ALSO READ: Update: Police confirm attempted assassination of Major General Feroz Khan

Khan’s uncle, Preggy Padayachee, told journalists the family is devastated. “We have to see what happens from there.”

When asked if the family wanted justice, he replied: “Yes, most definitely. Whoever did it must pay for it.”

On social media, Yusuf Abramjee said:

– A police report on last night’s shooting of Maj-Gen Feroz Khan says:

• “Upon arrival, Major General Khan was already in theatre undergoing medical treatment.

• “He had been driving a grey Suzuki Baleno, registration xx xxx xx GP, which was found parked on the side of the road.

• “No bullet holes were found on the vehicle. However, a projectile impact was identified on the road surface, and two spent cartridges were recovered.

• “A handwritten yellow note was also recovered at the scene.

• “The note stated that a case of defeating or contempt of court should be opened against Colonel Khorombi and General Khumalo and investigated by IDAC.

• “The vehicle was thoroughly searched, and the HP laptop was recovered from the spare wheel compartment.”

eNCA understands investigators recovered a handwritten note at the scene, allegedly calling for a criminal case to be opened against Colonel Khoromi and General Khumalo.

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According to Advocate Zubair Khan, the general had spent the weekend preparing for his Commission testimony. In the late hours of Sunday night, while returning home, gunmen opened fire on his vehicle in Houghton. He was rushed to the hospital, where he remains in critical condition.

Police have confirmed that the investigation is being led by the Gauteng Hawks, Crime Intelligence, and the Detective Service, with the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT) also incorporated.

Acting National Commissioner Lieutenant General Puleng Dimpane condemned the attack to say no resource will be spared in tracing and arresting those responsible.

Major General Khan was scheduled to appear before the Madlanga Commission on 1 July 2026. While speculation has mounted about the timing of the attack, police urge for restraint, saying detectives will follow the evidence wherever it leads.

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Counterfeit Bafana Bafana jerseys were among hundreds of fake clothing items confiscated during a by-law enforcement operation in Marabastad on Saturday.

The multi-agency raid, led by City of Tshwane Executive Mayor Dr. Nasiphi Moya in partnership with the South African Revenue Service (SARS) customs unit, forms part of the municipality’s aggressive “Reclaim our city” strategy targeting illicit trade, hijacked infrastructure, and unlicensed businesses across Pretoria.

ALSO READ: Tensions rise ahead of June 30 ultimatum as anti immigration marches intensify

Shops in Marabastad were raided, with dozens of unregistered salons and trading outlets on Madiba Street shut down for lacking valid municipal licences.

The operation also uncovered a massive stash of counterfeit Bafana Bafana jerseys, capitalising on national team events, and sold at a fraction of the legitimate retail price.

Mayor Moya said the counterfeit trade was undermining the local economy and robbing consumers of quality products.

“We know that this T-shirt goes for R1,600 at legitimate retail shops. Here in Marabastad, we see many shops selling it illegally. Of course, this is illicit trading. We are not alone -with the TMPD and SARS Customs, we said the nonsense happening at Marabastad would be clamped down. This thing is drowning the economy. If people can buy fake stuff, it means genuine products cannot be bought. Residents of Tshwane must be aware,” she warned.

The clampdown comes amid growing national tension over undocumented foreign nationals, with activist groups preparing for intensified protest action on Tuesday, 30 June.

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The March and March movement has spearheaded protests across the country, demanding stricter immigration enforcement and threatening a self-declared deadline for undocumented migrants to leave South Africa.

Law enforcement has warned that the protests could escalate, with Gauteng Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Tommy Mthombeni announcing fines of R10,000 per person for South Africans found harbouring or illegally employing undocumented foreign nationals.

Law enforcement agencies have rolled out a R600 million mobilisation plan, deploying drones, helicopters, and thousands of officers to monitor hotspots.

Meanwhile, ahead of the planned 30 June demonstrations, hundreds have gathered at Walter Sisulu Square in Kliptown, Soweto, for the “March for our townships” protest march.

Organisers say the march focuses on undocumented immigration and support for township businesses.

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Chaos erupted at Durban’s Sherwood Park on Wednesday after hundreds of Malawian nationals clashed with police during a protest over delays in their repatriation from South Africa.

Police fired stun grenades, teargas and rubber bullets after tensions escalated when officials from the Department of Home Affairs attempted to move migrants into Sherwood Hall for document verification and processing.

The group, which has been camping at the site for weeks, is demanding direct transportation back to Malawi and has rejected plans to first transfer them to the Lindela Repatriation Centre.

According to eyewitness reporters, the situation spiralled out of control after Home Affairs officials addressed the crowd and urged them to enter the hall so verification processes could continue. The crowd refused and Chaos erupted as they started throwing stones, fighting police officials, demanding to be repatriated back to their country 

Some protesters allegedly pelted police with objects, damaged vehicles and blocked nearby roads, while chanting: “No Lindela, we want to go straight home.”

Authorities have not yet confirmed whether there were injuries during the confrontation.

The unrest comes as frustration grows among the estimated 6,500 Malawian nationals currently gathered at Sherwood Park, with more reportedly arriving daily.

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According to government officials, many of those at the site are undocumented migrants seeking assistance to return home. However, Deputy Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development Andries Nel revealed that more than 1,800 people processed at the camp were found to have either invalid documentation or had overstayed their visas.

The situation has been further complicated by reports that the Malawian government is seeking donations to fund buses needed to transport its citizens back home.

The latest violence follows a visit by KwaZulu-Natal Premier Thamsanqa Ntuli to Sherwood Hall on Tuesday, where he warned that government was working to prevent the situation from developing into a humanitarian crisis.

Ntuli said a multi-departmental intervention involving Health, Social Development, Community Safety and law enforcement agencies had been established to manage the growing numbers at the site.

“We want to ensure that the people who are here are not adversely affected by being here in large groups, and that the people of eThekwini are also not affected by the presence of these large groups,” Ntuli said.

He said government was engaging with humanitarian organisations, local councillors and private sector stakeholders, some of whom had offered transport assistance.

“There is a private sector willing to donate buses. We are going to engage with that because we want to resolve this situation,” he said.

Ntuli argued that assisting undocumented migrants to return to their home countries should not be viewed as rewarding illegal immigration, but rather as a practical response to a complex humanitarian challenge.

The developments come amid heightened tensions around illegal immigration and growing anti-immigration mobilisation across parts of South Africa.

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Several organisations, including March and March and the Insizwa Ngobunsizwa Development Foundation, have set a 30 June deadline for undocumented foreign nationals to leave the country, warning of further action should their demands not be met.

President Cyril Ramaphosa has dismissed the ultimatum, insisting that immigration enforcement remains the responsibility of the state.

“The so-called 30th of June, in my view, is not an event that is even necessary because we are addressing the challenges that our people are facing,” Ramaphosa said following the June 16 commemoration on Tuesday.

He urged South Africans not to take the law into their own hands.

“No South African must take any action against any person from any of our African sister countries. That is the responsibility of government and government officials,” he said.

Ramaphosa warned that authorities would not tolerate efforts to create instability under the guise of addressing illegal immigration.

“We must not allow South Africans to be duped and to be misled by those who want to foster instability in our country. We will not allow that.”

Meanwhile, anti-illegal immigration activists marched in Lydenburg, Mpumalanga, on Wednesday, where they handed over a memorandum to the Department of Home Affairs demanding stricter enforcement of immigration laws and the vetting of foreign-owned spaza shops.

As the 30 June deadline approaches, uncertainty remains over what impact it may have on communities already grappling with growing tensions around migration, law enforcement and public services.

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A second explosion linked to a Woolworths store in less than 24 hours has triggered heightened concern among police and shopping centre management, after a blast ripped through the Woolworths Food store at Preller Square in Bloemfontein during the early hours of Friday morning.

The explosion, which occurred in the northern suburbs of Bloemfontein, came just a day after an explosive device detonated inside a Woolworths branch at Menlyn Park Shopping Centre in Tshwane.

No injuries or fatalities were reported in either incident, but authorities have launched intensive investigations amid fears the explosions could be connected.

Police cordoned off the affected section of Preller Square as members of the SAPS explosives unit, K9 teams, and investigators conducted a detailed sweep of the premises to determine whether any secondary devices had been planted.

Although the explosion caused alarm throughout the centre, surrounding stores appeared to have escaped damage.

Following a police sweep, most sections of the mall were reopened to the public, while the affected Woolworths store remained closed and sealed off as an active crime scene.

Free State police spokesperson Sergeant Mahlomola Kareli confirmed the matter had been handed over to the Hawks for further investigation.

“There was an explosion that happened in the Woolworths, but our explosives unit is still busy at the scene, processing the entire area to determine whether there was a secondary explosion or another device that may have been stored or placed somewhere,” Kareli said.

He said the enclosed nature of the store amplified the sound and impact of the blast.

“It isn’t a large area where the explosion occurred, but because it happened in an enclosed space, it created a very loud blast,” he said.

Kareli confirmed that while the rest of the shopping centre had resumed operations, the affected section of Woolworths remained inaccessible to both workers and customers.

Police also appealed to the public to remain alert and report any suspicious items or activity to law enforcement authorities.

“People must remain vigilant. If they notice any suspicious package, they should not tamper with it. Leave it as it is and contact the police immediately. We will then summon the explosives unit to investigate,” Kareli said.

Investigators are now probing whether the Bloemfontein explosion is linked to a similar incident that occurred at Menlyn Mall in Pretoria in the early hours of Thursday morning.

In that incident, an unknown explosive device detonated on a shelf inside the Woolworths store while five packers were on duty stocking shelves at around 1am.

Tshwane police spokesperson Captain Johan van Dyk said the workers escaped unharmed despite the explosion occurring inside the store while they were present.

Van Dyk said emergency services responded immediately and sealed off the scene while bomb disposal experts and investigators searched the premises.

“At the time of the incident, five packers were on duty inside the store. Fortunately, no injuries were reported. Damage sustained was limited to food items and shelving inside the store,” he said.

Images released from the Menlyn scene showed extensive damage to shelving and scattered food products across the aisle. Metal shelving had been punctured and bent by the force of the explosion, while cereal boxes and other packaged goods were strewn across the floor amid debris and broken fixtures.

Van Dyk confirmed that police had opened a case under the Explosives Act.

The SAPS has not yet confirmed whether the two explosions are linked, but investigations in both Gauteng and the Free State are continuing.

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Police are investigating how far alleged irregularities in ballistic reports may have affected several high-profile murder and attempted murder cases after a senior forensic captain appeared briefly in the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court on Monday.

Captain Laurence Makgotloe, attached to the SAPS Forensic Science Laboratory, is facing charges of defeating the ends of justice, accessory after the fact to murder, and possession of unlicensed ammunition.

Speaking outside court, SAPS national spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said investigators are still uncovering how far the alleged manipulation may have reached.

ALSO READ: DA targets SAPS bosses over 164 police convictions

“We are looking for answers. This is an opportunity for the captain to actually come clean and say who he was working with. Was he working with syndicates, or was he working with other people who stood to gain if they protected those syndicates and accused persons before court?” Mathe asked.

Makgotloe was arrested on Friday at his Pretoria home by the Recommendations Task Team – which investigates Madlanga Commission matters — after investigators allegedly uncovered serious discrepancies in ballistic reports linked to several murders and attempted murders.

Police said officers found ballistic reports and ammunition at his residence during the raid.

The investigation stems partly from the April 2024 assassination of engineer Armand Swart, who was killed in a hail of bullets in Vereeniging.

Mathe said organised crime investigators quickly arrested suspects linked to the assassination and recovered firearms, including an AK-47 rifle and pistols allegedly used in the murder.

Those firearms were initially analysed at the SAPS Forensic Science Laboratory in Silverton, Tshwane, where Makgotloe allegedly compiled a report that failed to connect the weapons to other crimes.

“Upon completion of that particular report, there were glaring mistakes and errors that were noted. It is unusual, with the experience of Captain Makgotloe, that he would make such glaring mistakes and would not link these firearms to other cases,” Mathe said.

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According to the brigadier, two Gauteng organised crime investigators became suspicious after intelligence suggested the suspects were linked to numerous violent crimes despite the ballistic report showing no broader connections.

The investigators pushed for an independent review, with the firearms later sent to the Amanzimtoti Forensic Science Laboratory.

“Those firearms were then linked to 30 serious and violent cases, the majority of them being murder and attempted murder,” Mathe said.

Police then sought a further review from the Eastern Cape Forensic Science Laboratory, which allegedly confirmed the findings.

Mathe said the firearms were subsequently linked to the murders of DJ Sumbody, DJ Vintos, Swart and Don Tindleni, as well as attempted murder cases involving taxi boss Joe Sibanyoni and others.

“So it then gave the investigators an indication that the initial report that was worked on by Captain Makgotloe had glaring mistakes and a lot of errors. We do believe that by him misrepresenting the report and manipulating the report, then he should, together with those suspects or accused, be charged,” she said.

Mathe warned that compromised forensic work had the potential to collapse major criminal prosecutions.

ALSO READ: Gauteng hails water intervention gains as Mamabolo drives municipal turnaround plan

“In the value chain, a ballistics expert plays a very crucial role. When a ballistics expert fails to provide true and accurate forensic findings, it derails investigations. Misrepresentation and failing to correctly analyse exhibits leads investigators to being misled, compromises investigations, and means perpetrators evade justice,” she said.

Mathe praised the two organised crime investigators whose insistence on independent testing allegedly exposed the discrepancies.

“If they were not determined, if they did not persist for a second opinion on those firearms, a lot of cases would have remained unsolved. All these perpetrators would have evaded justice,” she said.

The matter has been postponed to 2 June for a formal bail application.

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The Democratic Alliance will lay a formal complaint against Western Cape police leaders after uncovering 164 criminal convictions linked to SAPS members in the province

In a statement released on Monday, DA NCOP member on security and justice Nicholas Gotsell said the party had uncovered “deeply troubling indications that SAPS Western Cape have allowed members convicted of criminal offences to remain in service for years without properly implementing Regulation 5(3)(dd) of the SAPS Discipline Regulations, 2016”.

“The DA will take immediate steps to investigate these failures that continue to hamper the credibility of the SAPS,” Gotsell said.

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According to the DA, internal SAPS correspondence and documentation point to “an urgent and highly confidential retrospective verification exercise” covering the period from 2016 to 2026. The party said the exercise was triggered only after it intensified parliamentary scrutiny over criminal elements in the police service.

“This raises serious questions about whether SAPS Western Cape ever had an effective system to centrally monitor, track and enforce disciplinary processes against criminally convicted members,” the statement said.

The DA said the 164 convictions involved “an alarming range of offences, including murder, culpable homicide, assault with intent to inflict grievous bodily harm, pointing of firearms, driving under the influence, reckless driving, shoplifting, burglary, theft, drug-related offences, fraud committed by employees in positions of trust and contempt of court amongst other serious criminal conduct”.

It said some members on the list were linked to multiple convictions or offences committed over several years.

The party said the most serious concern was that, in certain cases, convictions remained unresolved for prolonged periods without the required disciplinary processes being finalised.

“This means convicted members have remained operational within SAPS structures for years despite the regulations requiring conviction-triggered disciplinary intervention to assess whether a convicted member should continue to serve as a SAPS member and officer of the law,” the DA said.

“The question now is whether this is yet another catastrophic failure of leadership under Western Cape Deputy Provincial Commissioner for Support Services, Maj. Genl. Preston Voskuil, whose name has already surfaced repeatedly in relation to the rape kit supply crisis and broader management failures within SAPS Western Cape, or whether it is part of the Provincial Commissioner, Lt. Genl. Thembisile Patekile’s condonation of criminals serving in the SAPS,” the statement said.

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The DA said SAPS Western Cape had already faced criticism from the acting minister of police, Firoz Cachalia, over “controversial interventions in disciplinary matters involving members found guilty of serious misconduct”.

The party cited cases involving W/O Sahabodien and constables Williams and Hendricks, saying members implicated in misconduct involving theft, fraud, drugs and misuse of SAPS resources were allowed to remain in SAPS structures after Patekile altered dismissal sanctions and replaced them with two-month suspensions.

The DA said it was after one of those cases that Cachalia conceded, in response to a parliamentary question from the party, that powers exercised by provincial commissioners under the 2016 SAPS Discipline Regulations had become problematic and needed review.

“That concession followed growing concern that disciplinary outcomes were being inconsistently overturned or diluted at provincial level,” the statement said.

Gotsell said the emerging picture was “deeply alarming”, describing “a SAPS leadership structure that appears unable and unwilling to consistently enforce integrity standards within its own ranks while frontline communities continue to suffer under violent crime, gangsterism and collapsing public confidence in policing”.

The DA said it would lay a formal complaint against Patekile and Voskuil and request an urgent investigation into an “egregious dereliction of duty”.

The party said it would also intensify parliamentary oversight into “the apparent systemic failures surrounding Regulation 5(3)(dd), including the possibility that convicted SAPS members were retained in operational, tactical and financially sensitive environments for years without proper disciplinary resolution”.

INSIDE POLITICS

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