The post Suspended SAPS Sergeant Accuses KZN Top Cop Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi of Torturing Him During The Investigation Into The Kidnapping Of KwaDukuza Businessman Zakariyya “Zak” Desai. appeared first on MDNtv.
]]>Mlotshwa claimed he was tortured by SAPS members including Mkhwanazi.
Mlotshwa made this claim while testifying before the Ad Hoc Committee probing allegations of police corruption on Friday.
He claimed police forced entry into his home in 2024, without a search warrant and later burnt it.
Mlotshwa told the committee he was identified as a prime suspect in Desai’s kidnapping case after the businessman was abducted outside a mosque in KwaDukuza on September 10, 2024.
The case was handled by a multidisciplinary team in KZN that included members of the Hawks and the provincial tracking unit.
The suspended officer testified that police officers forced entry into his home on November 20, 2024, while he was in Maputo.
“The officers did not have a search warrant and later they burned the house down. Days later, on November 23, I was detained in Maputo after I was arrested at a restaurant in Maputo under the claims that he was an illegal immigrant.
“I was taken to the nearest bush where members of SAPS based in Maputo tortured me. When they were tired of torturing me and realizing that I had no knowledge about Desai’s disappearance, they then decided to take everything that I had in my possession, including my passports and money. I was detained there as an illegal immigrant,” he said.
According to Mlotshwa, he was moved on November 28 from a police station in Maputo to the Lebombo border post and handed over to KZN police.
“He described the transfer as an illegal rendition conducted without proper legal procedures before he was formally processed by investigators.
Mlotshwa further claimed that on December 9, 2024, he and two Mozambican co-accused were taken from KwaDukuza police cells to a private farm despite having legal representation. He alleged they were transported in private vehicles belonging to Desai’s brother and were subjected to interrogation.
During the alleged interrogation, Mlotshwa said he and his co-accused were stripped naked and suffocated with a water-filled plastic bag.
“During the torture, the provincial commissioner was present and participated in the torture.
“He went as far as telling me that I should have rather committed suicide than coming to KZN,” he testified.
He claimed Mkhwanazi entered the room and instructed him to undress and squat.
Charges against Mlotshwa were later withdrawn in January 2025, but he remains suspended without pay while the allegations are expected to be addressed before the committee.
Mlotshwa concluded his testimony by accusing national police commissioner General Fannie Masemola and the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) of failing to intervene.
“It is disappointing and heartbreaking that the national commissioner and Ipid have dismally failed to act decisively where illegal rendition, torture, and arson have been committed. They need to account and be held responsible for their lack of action,” he said.
Mkhwanazi and Masemola are set to return to the committee to respond to the allegations levelled against them.
The post Suspended SAPS Sergeant Accuses KZN Top Cop Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi of Torturing Him During The Investigation Into The Kidnapping Of KwaDukuza Businessman Zakariyya “Zak” Desai. appeared first on MDNtv.
]]>The post Madlanga Commission Adjourns as Witness F is Hospitalised appeared first on MDNtv.
]]>The Madlanga Commission came to an abrupt stop on Monday morning after officials confirmed, at the last minute, that Witness F had been hospitalised and could not appear to testify.
It was a sudden turn in a week expected to be intense and revealing. Witness F, a police officer at the centre of several explosive allegations, was due to take the stand for two days of questioning. Instead, the commission was told he was unavailable, leaving the room heavy with unanswered questions and a growing sense of tension around what comes next.
His testimony has now been postponed to 16 March 2026.
The commission is expected to resume on Wednesday morning, and the focus has already shifted to who might testify in Witness F’s absence. One possible witness is suspended Deputy Police Commissioner Shadrack Sibiya, whose name has repeatedly surfaced during the inquiry.
Even without testimony on Monday, the commission’s broader mission remains unchanged. It is still working through claims of improper relationships, undue influence, and serious misconduct, allegations that continue to cast a long shadow over senior policing circles.
Witness F’s failure to appear comes just days after he withdrew an urgent court application that sought to block his appearance before the commission and prevent investigators from showing his WhatsApp communications.
The withdrawal did little to calm the growing public interest. If anything, it sharpened it. Those messages are considered central to several lines of inquiry, including claims about access to powerful individuals, alleged firearm dealings, and conflicting accounts of police cases.
Witness F has already delivered evidence that sent shockwaves through the South African Police Service. In earlier testimony, he described how alleged tenderpreneur Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala was able to move freely within SAPS headquarters and gain access to top generals, including National Commissioner Fannie Masemola and Major-General Richard Shibiri.
He also told the commission that he, Matlala, and Shibiri attended a “Thanksgiving ceremony” at Sibiya’s home in September 2024, a claim that continues to intensify scrutiny around relationships between senior officers and influential outsiders.
Among the most delicate strands before the commission are allegations involving political interference and illicit deals. The inquiry has heard details of WhatsApp conversations between Witness F and a contact saved as the late Deputy President David Mabuza. The witness has identified the contact as Mabuza’s nephew, Siphiwe Mabuza.
The discussions allegedly revolved around the sale of 750 firearms, with Witness F admitting under questioning that he expressed interest in testing the weapons for personal use.
The commission has also weighed accusations that Witness F misled the inquiry about a matter in Mamelodi. Evidence leader Matthew Chaskalson previously challenged the witness’s version, after Witness F claimed it was a domestic abuse incident. The commission, however, contends it was a murder scene where 50 cartridge cases were found.
In a separate controversy, Witness F has been linked to the arrest of blogger Musa Khawula, allegedly under pressure from former deputy minister of police Cassel Mathale.
Witness F’s testimony is now expected on 16 March 2026, and with it comes renewed pressure for clarity. Parts of his evidence may still be heard behind closed doors, but the public will be watching closely for answers to allegations that touch the heart of the criminal justice system.
When the commission returns on Wednesday, it is expected to confirm the updated witness schedule and indicate whether senior figures, including Sibiya, will be called to testify in open proceedings.
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