In brief
Deputy crime‑intelligence chief Maj‑Gen Feroz Khan was shot Sunday evening while driving home and has just survived emergency surgery. The attack came days before the Madlanga commission, where Khan was slated to testify on alleged illegal gold dealings and links to high‑level politicians. Police say the motive is unclear, and the incident underscores the dangers faced by witnesses in the probe of organised crime in the South African police. Khan was suspended from duty following a May arrest over gold‑dealing charges, and has not yet commented on the shooting. The case follows a December killing of an inquiry witness, underscoring the turbulence surrounding the investigation into police corruption.
Feroz Khan Survives Shooting Ahead of Madlanga Inquiry
Deputy crime‑intelligence chief Maj‑Gen Feroz Khan was shot on the evening of 27 June as he drove home, according to Johannesburg police. He was promptly taken to a hospital in a life‑saving emergency surgery and is now in recovery.
Khan, who has been suspended from duty after being arrested in May on allegations of illegal gold dealing, was scheduled to testify before the Madlanga commission, a public inquiry examining links between organised crime and the South African police.
Police spokesperson Brig Athlenda Mathe said the investigation into Khan’s shooting was still underway and cautioned against speculating that the incident was linked to his impending testimony. She also emphasised that “premature conclusions could be harmful.”
“This is the second time a witness connected with the Madlanga inquiry has been attacked,” noted a source close to the case. The first was a death in December, in front of the witness’s family, three weeks after he gave testimony.
Earlier this month Khan had sought to block the inquiry’s access to electronic devices seized during his arrest and to keep his testimony closed. He later abandoned both requests.
The backdrop of the enquiry remains tense: following Lt‑Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi’s 2023 allegations of organised crime infiltration, the commission is probing leadership and operational failings across multiple police districts.
Stakeholders say Khan’s fate may reflect the larger power struggles still shaping South Africa’s policing structures, as the nation battles entrenched corruption on multiple fronts.
