PRETORIA – The Acting National Commissioner of the SAPS, Lieutenant General Puleng Dimpane, has welcomed the withdrawal of fraud and corruption charges against seven senior officers including Lieutenant General Dumisani Khumalo.

The officers are attached to Crime Intelligence. Khumalo serves as Divisional Commissioner of Crime Intelligence and Project Manager of the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT). The police confirmed in a statement after the National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP) officially withdrew the charges at the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court today.

The charges against Crime Intelligence head Khumalo and six colleagues were provisionally withdrawn by the National Director of Public Prosecutions, Advocate Andy Mothibi, on 27 July. The other six senior officers are Major General Philani Lushaba, Major General Nosipho Precious Madondo, Major General Josias Lekalaka, Major General Zwelithini Gabela, Brigadier Phindile Ncube and Brigadier Dineo Mokwele.

Brigadier Athlenda Mathe, national police spokesperson, said the SAPS is confident that the withdrawal of the charges will allow the senior officers to refocus fully on their mandate of preventing and combating crime.

“As Divisional Commissioner of Crime Intelligence and Project Manager of the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT), Lieutenant General Khumalo will continue to focus on strengthening intelligence-driven operations, dismantling highly organised criminal networks, disrupting criminal syndicates and ensuring that actionable intelligence supports targeted police operations.

“The SAPS will continue to build a stronger, intelligence-led organisation focused on delivering results and keeping communities safe. The work is cut out for the SAPS, and the organisation remains resolute in taking down highly organised criminal networks and bringing serious and violent criminals to justice,” said Mathe.

The charges, which were initially brought by the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC) regarding the alleged irregular appointment of a brigadier, were dropped following representations made by the accused to the National Director of Public Prosecutions.

The officers were arrested in June last year on allegations that they manipulated the recruitment process to hire Brigadier Dineo Mokwele. However, evidence presented at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry demonstrated that Mokwele was fully qualified for the post, collapsing the state’s case.

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