Sifolo Warns South Africa Was Close to Criminal Capture as Cartel Infiltration Deepened

Acting National Intelligence Coordinating Committee (NICOC) coordinator Dr Ntandazo Sifolo has warned that South Africa could have been overwhelmed by criminal networks operating within state institutions had intelligence structures not intervened in February 2025.

Sifolo made the revelations while testifying before the Madlanga Commission on Thursday, 12 November 2026, where he detailed the extent of alleged criminal infiltration within the country’s criminal justice system and the intelligence operations launched to address the threat.

According to Sifolo, NICOC was forced to step in and coordinate counter-intelligence operations in Gauteng after concerns emerged that efforts to investigate and dismantle criminal networks were fragmented across different intelligence structures.

The operations reportedly focused on an alleged criminal cartel known as the Big Five, which has featured prominently in investigations into suspected criminal influence within law enforcement and other state institutions.

Sifolo described the situation as extremely serious, warning that the country was at risk of losing control of important state structures to criminal networks.

He told the commission that Crime Intelligence head Lieutenant-General Dumisani Khumalo had effectively surrendered on the day he was expected to hand over a project documenting multiple layers of alleged criminal infiltration.

The project was reportedly intended to provide intelligence on how criminal networks had penetrated different parts of the criminal justice system.

His testimony has raised further questions about the extent of alleged corruption, compromised officials and the coordination of intelligence operations within government institutions.

The revelations are expected to add another dimension to the commission’s investigation into allegations of criminal infiltration and interference in South Africa’s law enforcement agencies.

The commission continues to hear evidence from witnesses as it seeks to establish how deeply criminal networks may have penetrated state structures and who should be held accountable.

Source ; https://x.com/mdnnewss/status/2121215079219651005?a=2ruPXG06diBv_9wyEI8&s=46

Grace-writer feedback-opera-news-app@opera.com