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Police minister Senzo Mchunu flew a witness to the Eastern Cape to give evidence to Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (Idac) chief investigator Dylan Perumal in relation to an alleged tender procurement irregularity within police crime intelligence, the Madlanga commission of inquiry heard on Wednesday. State advocate Drushantha Ramsamy returned to the witness box on Wednesday and gave testimony suggesting Mchunu did not only trigger the directorate’s controversial investigation against crime intelligence generals but was also involved in the investigations. Her testimony puts a spotlight on Mchunu’s involvement in the directorate’s controversial crime intelligence investigations. Ramsamy said Perumal told him in January 2025 that Mchunu flew a witness working within crime intelligence procurement to the Eastern Cape to meet investigators and give evidence on alleged irregularities in the procurement of forklifts by the unit. “Mr Perumal informed me the witness was flown to the Eastern Cape by the minister of police for Mr Perumal to consult with the witness,” Ramsamy testified. “It seemed strange to me that minister Mchunu would be involved in this investigation, but Mr Perumal did not offer any further details regarding minister Mchunu’s involvement in the investigation.”The forklift tender investigations emanated from National Coloured Congress MP Fadiel Adams’ complaint to the directorate in December 2024. Adams’ initial affidavit relating to the forklift tender, however, was not submitted to the commission by former Idac head Andrea Johnson. “Mr Perumal told me this witness was relevant to the procurement of the forklift by crime intelligence. At that stage I was not aware Gen Jacobs had informed Mr [Mantsha] Raphesu that the inspectorate had to update minister Mchunu on Mr Adams’ complaints every 10 days,” she said.The directorate’s investigations into crime intelligence have caused a stir between the upper echelons of the police force and Idac“I mention this because it seemed minister Mchunu’s involvement was more than just receiving updates from the inspectorate on Mr Adams’ criminal complaints.” Commission chair retired justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga asked what Ramsamy understood Mchunu’s involvement to have been in the consultation with a witness. She said the minister’s office paid for the witness’ flight because “it seemed” the witness had no means. She said Johnson had a meeting with Mchunu in which the former Idac head remarked afterwards: “The minister said he want us to help clean up the SA Police Service — crime intelligence specifically.”The directorate’s investigations into crime intelligence have caused a stir between the upper echelons of the police force and Idac. The investigations and arrest of police crime intelligence head Lt-Gen Dumisani Khumalo led to KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi’s July 6 2025 media briefing in which he said Mchunu disbanded the KwaZulu-Natal political killings task team while it was uncovering a criminal syndicate infiltrating law enforcement.President Cyril Ramaphosa placed Mchunu on special leave pending investigations of criminal infiltration into law enforcement.The commission is investigating allegations the directorate acted outside its mandate in investigating crime intelligence matters. In November last year, when Johnson appeared before parliament’s ad hoc committee looking into criminal infiltration in the justice system, Johnson did not link Mchunu to the crime intelligence allegations.Johnson told MPs she was unaware that Adams’ complaint alleging the interception of dockets had been referred to Mchunu’s office. However, Johnson testified before the Madlanga commission that the investigation into Khumalo and other crime intelligence officials had been triggered by a letter from Mchunu’s office about the complaint made by Adams.Business Day
