South Africa’s criminal intelligence chief, Lt-Gen Dumisani Khumalo, has been arrested and appeared in court on allegations of fraud and corruption. Khumalo was picked up on Thursday evening after landing at the main international airport in Johannesburg by members of the anti-corruption unit.
He made his court appearance in Pretoria alongside six co-accused senior police officers, with their lawyer stating they intend to plead not guilty to the charges.
The charges are linked to an ongoing investigation into alleged abuse of intelligence funds and potentially unlawful appointments within the South African Police Service (SAPS).
This marks the second wave of arrests within two weeks targeting the SAPS’ Crime Intelligence unit, raising questions about the unit’s integrity. The Democratic Alliance welcomed the arrests, calling it a “step in rescuing an organisation on the brink of collapse”.
In contrast, the Economic Freedom Fighters party views Khumalo’s arrest as a symptom of a “sick and hollowed-out policing system” requiring structural overhaul.
Khumalo became the head of the Crime Intelligence unit in 2022, after serving in different police units for over two decades.
The allegations against him and other senior officers have further tainted the reputation of the police service, which has faced numerous corruption cases in recent years.
