Former Hawks head Dr Godfrey Lebeya has told the Madlanga Commission that he feels “betrayed” after learning that Lieutenant General Dumisani Khumalo deliberately withheld certain information from the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI), while his testimony also placed the longstanding professional relationship between senior police officials Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi and Fannie Masemola under scrutiny.

Lebeya was giving evidence before the Commission on Thursday, 27 August 2026, as he addressed and sought to correct aspects of evidence previously presented during the hearings.

His testimony touched on Mkhwanazi, Masemola and Khumalo as the Commission continues examining allegations of criminal infiltration, interference and dysfunction within South Africa’s law-enforcement structures.

LEBEYA: ‘I FEEL BETRAYED’

One of the strongest moments came when Lebeya addressed evidence previously given by Khumalo.

According to Lebeya, Khumalo testified that he had deliberately excluded the DPCI from certain information because he wanted to protect an investigation against the Hawks.

Lebeya said Khumalo’s evidence indicated that information received in May 2024 implicated Captain Zungu of TOMS, which falls within the Hawks.

Khumalo’s evidence, as recounted by Lebeya, was that where targets existed within a particular law-enforcement environment, information sharing and briefings could be limited.

Lebeya said this revelation helped him understand why Khumalo had not brought certain information to him.

“I now understand why he has never brought information of any serious organised crime or serious corruption to my attention since taking office and I feel betrayed,” Lebeya told the Commission.

His statement is significant because Lebeya was National Head of the DPCI, commonly known as the Hawks, while Khumalo occupied a senior position within Crime Intelligence.

LEBEYA RAISES MKHWANAZI AND MASEMOLA RELATIONSHIP

Lebeya also drew attention to the professional relationship between Mkhwanazi and Masemola.

While commenting on Khumalo’s earlier evidence, Lebeya referred to the period when Masemola was appointed to head Crime Intelligence while Mkhwanazi was National Commissioner.

Lebeya told the Commission that Mkhwanazi and Masemola had been together professionally for a long period.

“Indeed the two have been together for a long time and in some instances appointing and promoting each other,” Lebeya said.

He further pointed to Masemola’s later appointment as Deputy National Commissioner by Mkhwanazi.

Lebeya did not, in this section of his evidence, allege that the appointments were unlawful. His comments were made while addressing previous evidence and the relationships between senior officials within the police.

KHUMALO’S DECISION TO EXCLUDE THE HAWKS

The issue of trust between different arms of law enforcement emerged as a central theme in Lebeya’s evidence.

Lebeya referred to Khumalo’s testimony that the DPCI had deliberately been excluded to protect an investigation because information had allegedly emerged concerning a Hawks member.

Lebeya said he had not previously been made aware of the information concerning Captain Zungu despite Khumalo allegedly having known about it from May 2024.

He also referred to evidence concerning the controversial operation of 6 December 2024, during which Hawks members arrived at an address where another police operation was underway.

According to Lebeya’s statement, Khumalo had still not identified the person who called the Hawks to the operation as of 5 November 2025, although information from the investigation was allegedly pointing towards another individual as the person who activated the call.

Lebeya also referred to evidence from Captain Wanda concerning communication with a Hawks brigadier during the operation.

The competing versions surrounding the incident have become part of the Commission’s examination of relationships, information sharing and trust between different law-enforcement structures.

‘SMALL CLOSE CIRCLE OF CONFIDENCE IS NOT ALWAYS HEALTHY’

Lebeya separately raised concerns about appointments within the police while addressing evidence previously given to the Commission.

He told the Commission that appointments and promotions should be considered broadly across the organisation rather than being confined to a small group of trusted individuals.

“A small close circle of confidence is not always healthy,” Lebeya said.

When asked to explain the comment, he said the organisation was large and that appointments and promotions should consider candidates across the broader institution.

His remarks added another dimension to his evidence about relationships among senior SAPS officials.

LEBEYA DEFENDS HIS RECORD

Towards the conclusion of his main statement, Lebeya delivered a forceful defence of his more than four decades in policing.

He described himself as an embodiment of honesty and integrity and said he had fought criminality both inside and outside the SAPS.

“I have not created friends in the criminal world,” Lebeya told the Commission.

He said his profession had placed him in harm’s way and called on South Africans committed to fighting crime to work together to confront criminality “without fear, favour, or prejudice”.

Lebeya’s evidence adds another layer to the Commission’s examination of tensions within South Africa’s law-enforcement structures, particularly around the sharing of intelligence, operational responsibilities and trust among senior officials.

The “betrayed” remark relates specifically to Lebeya’s reaction to Khumalo’s evidence about withholding information from the DPCI. His separate comments concerning Mkhwanazi and Masemola focused on their longstanding professional relationship and appointments within the police.

Lebeya’s testimony was postponed to a date to be arranged.

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