Senior Crime Intelligence official Major General Feroz Khan and Gauteng Hawks head Major General Ebrahim Kadwa have been arrested for alleged illegal dealing and unlawful possession of precious metals.

SAPS confirmed the arrest of two senior officers and a civilian, but did not name the officers in a statement issued on Sunday.

News24, citing two sources close to the investigation, identified them as Khan and Kadwa.

“The South African Police Service (SAPS) confirms the arrest of two senior officers and a civilian allegedly linked to the illegal dealing and unlawful possession of precious metals following an intensive investigation by the Gauteng Counter Intelligence Operations (GCI-OPS),” Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said.

She said the suspects were arrested after investigations into “allegations of illicit precious metals transactions, corruption and related offences.”

The arrests were made over the weekend after investigators executed a J50 warrant of arrest.

“These arrests form part of ongoing efforts by law enforcement to dismantle criminal networks involved in the illicit trade of precious minerals and corruption.”

The three suspects are expected to appear in the Kempton Park Magistrate’s Court on Monday.

Mathe said they may face charges including “the unlawful dealing in precious metals, defeating the ends of justice, corruption, and contravention of applicable legislation regulating precious metals in South Africa”.

South Africa’s Precious Metals Act regulates the acquisition, possession, smelting, refining, beneficiation, use and disposal of precious metals.

The illegal trade in precious metals is closely tied to organised crime and illegal mining, according to the Minerals Council of South Africa, and is a major law-enforcement challenge in Gauteng and other mining provinces.

This is a developing story.

INSIDE POLITICS

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South African business confidence saw its biggest year-on-year improvement in almost two years in November, boosted by higher tourist numbers, precious metal prices and new vehicle sales, data showed on Tuesday.

The South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry said optimism about economic prospects under the coalition government formed this year had also contributed to the rise in its Business Confidence Index (BCI).

The BCI rose to 118.1 in November, up from 114.2 in October and 110.2 in September.

The year-on-year increase in the BCI in November was the largest since COVID-19 restrictions were lifted in December 2022, the South African Chamber of Commerce and Industry (SACCI) said.

Business sentiment has risen sharply since June, after the African National Congress lost its parliamentary majority in a national election and was forced to share power with smaller parties including the pro-business Democratic Alliance.

“The broader political representation in the administration of national government has facilitated a positive assessment of economic prospects by business,” SACCI said in a statement.

The uptick in business confidence has not yet translated into faster economic growth in Africa’s most industrialised nation.

Gross domestic product unexpectedly shrank in the third quarter as a drought hit agricultural production, but analysts expect a return to modest expansion in the coming quarters.

Reuters

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