General Khan’s Phone Was Unlocked. South Africa Will Never Be the Same.

[00:00:00]What happens when the highest levels of police intelligence secretly collide with political power? For weeks, South Africa has been holding its breath. One man fought tooth and nail in court to keep his electronic devices completely sealed. That man is Major General Farouk Khan. He is the suspended deputy head of SAPS Crime Intelligence. When investigators originally seized his phones, Khan made a heavy claim. He said opening them would compromise national security. He warned that it would put innocent lives at risk. But in a sudden twist, General Khan dropped his court bid. The encryption was finally broken.

[00:00:38]What investigators allegedly found inside has sent shockwaves through the political landscape. The files link Khan directly to EFF leader Julius Malema.

[00:00:49]They suggest high-level intelligence sharing and controversial business networks. Is this a case of legitimate political networking or are we looking at a deeply troubling web of political protection and state capture? Let's dive in. To understand how we got here, we have to look at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry. This is the judicial body tasked with investigating dark allegations within our system. They look at criminality, corruption, and political interference inside South Africa's criminal justice system. The inquiry was sparked largely by explosive claims from within the police force itself. Lieutenant General Mkhwanazi and General Magoebo previously raised alarms.

[00:01:32]>> I've seen these pictures over the last couple of days. Witness testimony at Madlanga, including WhatsApp messages, suggests a special relationship between Khan and Matlala. Am I correct?

[00:01:45]>> That is correct.

[00:01:47]>> Matlala also allegedly claimed to have provided financial favors to Khan.

[00:01:52]>> That's correct.

[00:01:53]>> Including a claim that Khan demanded 2.5 million but was paid 500,000.

[00:01:59]>> That's correct.

[00:02:01]>> There are also allegations regarding Khan's use of a penthouse in Mayfair.

[00:02:07]>> I heard about that.

[00:02:10]>> Khan is said to be linked to Malema and has been pictured at the same house as the Yithi Mnguni linked to witness T.

[00:02:17]This is what's on social media.

[00:02:18]>> This is correct.

[00:02:19]>> What do you have to say about that?

[00:02:21]>> Well, I know they're close.

[00:02:23]I know Mr. Malema took Khan.

[00:02:25]myself >> What do you know about Jindal Feroz Khan's alleged relationship with individuals linked now to illicit cigarette smuggling, drug dealing, and kidnapping?

[00:02:42]>> Yeah, well, it's no secret that Khan had accompanied those individuals during one of the EFF gatherings, um, a political gathering celebrations in Johannesburg.

[00:02:53]So, from there we could deduct that they've got a close relationship behind beyond what then they the investigation has revealed, of course.

[00:03:03]>> Do you know about the relationship between Sibiya and Stuart Shaw Nick who appeared alongside him in this very house?

[00:03:12]>> Well, I'm not sure exactly what links the two of them, but I did see the video.

[00:03:17]>> Stuart Shaw Nick, criminal with 34 criminal cases, 18 of which resulted in guilty findings.

[00:03:25]Claims he rented his bulletproof car to Sibiya for 60,000 rand a month.

[00:03:32]>> Yeah, well, we are investigating that, um, Mr. Shaw Nick is about many other things. So, when the relationship started and the nature of the relationship, that I cannot confirm.

[00:03:43]>> Okay.

[00:03:44]Let me move beyond steps of connecting the dots.

[00:03:48]Who exactly is Steve Motshumi and what is he involved in?

[00:03:53]>> I still don't know who Mr. Mchunu is.

[00:03:54]That's why this morning I still asked certain questions. Who is this Steve Mchunu?

[00:03:59]>> Could he be the possible principal of the cartel, not the head?

[00:04:07]>> What I know is a person who was very close, was one of the inner circles of the late Mr. Mswazi.

[00:04:13]>> He's a very powerful figure within within and outside the police and possibly linked to influencing the appointment of provincial heads of the Hawks.

[00:04:24]>> That's information we've gathered.

[00:04:29]>> Who is Z Komalo?

[00:04:32]And are you aware of what he is involved in and why he is involved with directing SAPS investigations and has access to confidential SAPS information?

[00:04:44]>> What we became aware about who is Z is was that he is a person that was working very >> They warned about deep-seated political manipulation in the police force. As the head of counterintelligence, Khan held the keys to some of the country's most sensitive data. However, his career has been plagued by controversy. He was previously arrested by a task team on separate allegations involving corruption. Witnesses have alleged links to underworld figures and suspicious operations. He argued that his iCloud and hard drives held sensitive undercover operations. But just days ago, Khan capitulated. He completely abandoned his legal challenge. According to an affidavit filed by the commission's investigator, the data is now out. Once the extraction reports were opened, a massive paper trail was revealed. The most politically damaging revelation in the leaked file centers around EFF leader Julius Malema.

[00:05:43]According to the commission's court filings, the data contains extensive records. Extracted WhatsApp messages allegedly show General Khan passing confidential police information to Julius Malema. And this reportedly happened on multiple occasions. But what kind of information are we talking about? The allegations suggest a highly coordinated, mutually beneficial relationship. He allegedly used this data to benefit Malema and his close associates. In one specific instance highlighted by investigators, a paper trail was found. Khan allegedly sent a list of targeted parliamentary questions to an intermediary. These questions were intended for the EFF to put forward to the Inspector General of Intelligence.

[00:06:29]Essentially, it appears Khan may have been using opposition politicians to fight his internal police battles.

[00:06:36]Furthermore, there are unverified claims and growing public questions. People want to know if intelligence leaks extended to sensitive financial investigations. Specifically, investigations surrounding the infamous VBS Mutual Bank scandal. In return for this alleged flow of intelligence, what did Khan get? The court filing suggests he received political cover. Political analysts point out that the EFF and Malema have repeatedly defended Khan.

[00:07:06]>> He must never think he can blackmail or threaten anyone. We are not scared of policeman. When we joined the strike team, we were taught not to be scared of a policeman. We have not done it when we were young, we are not going to do it when we are old.

[00:07:26]Mkhonazi is fighting General Khan.

[00:07:31]And every time he fights General Khan, he drags the EFF name, he drags the CIC's name to fight General Khan. Let him fight Khan if they got their own issues and leave the EFF out of their nonsense because EFF is not part of any nonsense they are fighting about in the police.

[00:07:56]Again, Mkhwanazi goes to Arthur Fraser.

[00:08:01]He says Sitole told Khehla and General Masemola that he no longer needs their intervention because Sitole said he spoke to CIC of EFF to go and speak to Mkhwanazi so that he can bring them together.

[00:08:27]Mkhwanazi never said the CIC called me and said, "Let's come together with Sitole." He says someone said Sitole said.

[00:08:41]And then the question should have been, "Okay, did the CIC convene that meeting?" I never convened any meeting.

[00:08:49]No, Sitole asked me to convene any meeting. And let me tell you, if Sitole had asked me to call a meeting, I was going to call it because I am a leader of this country. And when two police generals are fighting and one of them says, "I'm fighting with my colleague. I want you to mediate." I was going to do it. I did not hire Sitole. They hired him. I respected him because he's a general that they have hired. But that meeting never took place. So don't be shaken by nonsense.

[00:09:25]>> They allegedly attempted to block efforts to have Khan testify before Parliament's ad hoc committee. This raises a massive red flag. Was a a state spy trading official state secrets in exchange for political protection, the web goes even deeper. The extracted phone records didn't just show direct chats with politicians. They also revealed heavy communication between General Khan and Muhammad Sayed. Sayed is the co-founder of Carnilinx.

[00:09:55]Carnilinx is a prominent tobacco company that has frequently faced intense scrutiny. They have faced past allegations of tax evasion and cigarette smuggling. Julius Malema himself has historically faced questions over alleged ties to the illicit cigarette trade. While Malema and Sayed have consistently denied any wrongdoing, the connection is under the spotlight.