The South African Police Service’s (SAPS) Crime Intelligence division is facing an escalating crisis as a second wave of arrests were carried out on 26 June 2025, targeting it’s senior leadership. The Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC) has confirmed the detention of multiple high-ranking officials amid mounting allegations of corruption, financial misconduct, abuse of state resources, and serious breaches of internal procedures.

Those arrested include:

• Lieutenant General Dumisani Khumalo, the Divisional Commissioner of Crime Intelligence,
• Major General Lushaba, the Chief Financial Officer (CFO) who has now been arrested for a second time,
• Major General Lekalakala, Gauteng’s Head of Crime Intelligence,
• Major General Madondo, who leads the Crime Intelligence Analysis Centre,
• Major General Gabela from SAPS Technology Services,
• Brigadier Mokwele, the Technical Support System Manager,
• Brigadier Ncube, Head of the Vetting Office.

The charges reportedly involve corruption, defeating the ends of justice, perjury, manipulation of recruitment processes, the looting of Crime Intelligence’s covert slush fund, and the unauthorised use of public funds. The arrests mark a significant turning point in what many observers see as an overdue effort to hold senior law enforcement officials accountable for systemic abuse of their positions.

A key figure in the unfolding scandal is Brigadier Mokwele, whose appointment to a senior post within SAPS has drawn intense scrutiny. Mokwele, who previously worked in cybersecurity at BMW South Africa, was appointed to a brigadier role in Crime Intelligence despite having no policing background. Her annual salary is reported to be close to R1 million. The appointment has come to symbolise the irregular hiring practices and internal favouritism that critics argue have undermined the integrity and professionalism of the division.

The Democratic Alliance (DA) has strongly welcomed the arrests. Member of Parliament Dianne Kohler Barnard, the DA’s spokesperson on state security, issued a detailed statement in response to the developments. She said the arrests of Khumalo, Ncube, Madondo, and Gabela represent a long-overdue step toward salvaging a critical institution that has been pushed to the brink of collapse.

Kohler Barnard described the revelations as indicative of a serious breach of public trust within an institution tasked with safeguarding the country’s internal security and supporting police operations. She confirmed that the Democratic Alliance would maintain a watching brief on the investigation.

In February this year, Kohler Barnard wrote to the Inspector General of Intelligence, Imtiaz Fazel, after exposing that Crime Intelligence had allegedly spent R22.8 million on the purchase of a commercial property in Berea, Durban, and a further R22.7 million on a luxury boutique hotel in Pretoria North. These acquisitions were both authorised by Major General Lushaba in his capacity as CFO, and by Lieutenant General Khumalo. According to Kohler Barnard, the transactions were not only highly questionable but also symptomatic of a broader culture of financial mismanagement within the division.

“These properties appear to be just the tip of the iceberg,” she said, warning that the full scope of what is being uncovered could lead to the collapse of Crime Intelligence as an institution.

The crisis deepened earlier this month when it emerged that Major General Lushaba had handed himself over to the authorities. This followed an incident in which a sex worker allegedly stole his state-issued firearm and laptop. Lushaba reportedly lied about the circumstances surrounding the incident, an act that contributed directly to his arrest.

Compounding the situation are reports that key investigative dockets, including those related to Brigadier Mokwele’s controversial appointment, had mysteriously disappeared. These cases have since been reopened in Gauteng by Member of Parliament Fadiel Adams and prominent private investigator Paul O’Sullivan. They were escalated to IDAC, which is now spearheading a more aggressive phase of investigation and prosecution.

Chairperson of the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Police, Ian Cameron, has publicly expressed support for IDAC’s action. He described the arrests as “long overdue” and emphasised the importance of restoring public trust in SAPS. Cameron reiterated the committee’s stance that integrity audits, skills audits, lifestyle audits, and a thorough review of senior SAPS appointments are now urgent and non-negotiable.

Kohler Barnard also drew a direct line between the current scandal and the legacy of state capture under former president Jacob Zuma. She stated that Crime Intelligence had become a “cash cow for Zuma-aligned cronies” and called on Police Minister Senzo Mchunu to ensure that those found guilty face the full consequences of the law.

The Democratic Alliance, she said, had held out hope that Crime Intelligence was beginning to emerge from the shadow of the Richard Mdluli era, a period widely associated with political interference and misuse of intelligence resources. “Sadly for South Africa, that is not the case,” she concluded.

With more arrests anticipated in the coming days, the scandal now threatens to engulf broader elements of SAPS leadership, raising serious questions about accountability, oversight, and the future of South Africa’s intelligence and law enforcement capacity.

More arrests are expected as investigations continue.