Masemola Accuses Zuma And Mthethwa Of Blocking Crime Intelligence Reforms

National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola has alleged that former president Jacob Zuma and late police minister Nathi Mthethwa obstructed efforts to overhaul the South African Police Service’s (SAPS) Crime Intelligence division.

Masemola made the revelations while testifying before Parliament’s ad hoc committee on Friday, which is investigating KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi’s claims of a criminal syndicate infiltrating law enforcement, the judiciary, and intelligence structures.

Crime Intelligence — a key SAPS unit — has been under intense scrutiny by both the committee and the Madlanga Commission. Witnesses have exposed how the division’s secret service account, infamously dubbed the “slush fund,” was misused by politicians and senior officials.

Political Interference and the Mdluli Scandal

Testimony before both forums has detailed how corruption cases against former Crime Intelligence head Richard Mdluli were allegedly blocked due to political interference. Names mentioned include Mthethwa, former police minister Bheki Cele, and current minister Senzo Mchunu.

Current Crime Intelligence boss Dumisani Khumalo recently told the Madlanga Commission that reform efforts were repeatedly disrupted as successive acting heads were dismissed. Similarly, Mkhwanazi remarked that the division has not been properly “cleansed” since 2011, when the Mdluli slush fund scandal erupted.

When questioned by ANC MP Khusela Sangoni-Diko about whether the instability in Crime Intelligence began under Mchunu’s leadership, Masemola rejected that notion, asserting that the problems predate 2011.

He explained that the division’s decline resulted from both internal and external interference over several years.

‘We Were Targeted After Taking Away the Cars’

Masemola implicated Zuma and Mthethwa directly, saying they resisted changes intended to clean up the division. “When we had a plan on how we were reforming the division, we did quite a lot of work and probably we touched the wrong button,” he told the committee.

He revealed that vehicles belonging to Crime Intelligence had been taken away from Mthethwa and Zuma — a move he believes triggered retaliation.

“That’s how we were later targeted and removed. That’s when Lieutenant-General Mkhwanazi ended up at home; I ended up in Limpopo and Khumalo, probably was lucky, and remained around Gauteng,” Masemola explained.

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According to him, the reforms were necessary to ensure Crime Intelligence resources were used strictly for fighting crime.

“It was the right thing that we were doing because we were making sure that the resources of the division solely get used to fight crime. Why would a minister drive a vehicle that belongs to the Crime Intelligence account for no reason?” he said.

Masemola added that several senior managers were also using Crime Intelligence vehicles improperly. Although the cars were initially returned, they were later seized again with the backing of then-national police commissioner Bheki Cele.

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