NATIONAL NEWS - The shooting of suspended crime intelligence boss Major-General Feroz Khan has intensified scrutiny of the already explosive proceedings before the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry, with the timing of the incident raising suspicion.
He was allegedly shot in Houghton, Joburg, on Sunday night by two unidentified assailants in a white Mercedes-Benz. He was admitted to Milpark Hospital.
Khan shot in Houghton days before his scheduled testimony
Khan was expected to testify before the commission tomorrow as investigators probe alleged political ties and interference in police operations.
South African Police Service national spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said police were aware of public speculation regarding the timing of the attack.
“It is premature and irresponsible to speculate on any possible motive or to conclude the incident is linked to his appearance before the commission,” she said.
While no evidence has yet linked the events, criminologist Prof Kholofelo Rakubu said the sequence has fuelled suspicion.
She said incidents involving organised crime, corruption and institutional wrongdoing investigations occurring around key witnesses often attract scrutiny because they can be intended to intimidate, silence or influence proceedings.
Suspension increased his vulnerability
“Whether these developments are connected remains unknown, but they cannot simply be dismissed as coincidence, nor accepted at face value,” she said.
Rakubu said Khan’s suspension may have altered his institutional position and potentially increased his vulnerability.
“A suspended senior official may possess information capable of implicating former colleagues, exposing institutional failures or contradicting existing narratives,” she said.
Rakubu argues that if Khan was expected to provide potentially significant testimony before the commission, authorities should have conducted a thorough threat assessment and considered protective measures.
She said one of the questions emerging is whether the attack was intended to influence proceedings before the commission.
Will attack influence proceedings?
“If investigators establish evidence pointing in that direction, such conduct would represent a direct attack, not merely on Khan but on the administration of justice itself,” Rakubu said.
Professional investigators, she said, must also examine alternative explanations, including whether the timing of the incident may have had the effect of creating delays, confusion or procedural complications.
Rakubu stressed raising such possibilities does not amount to accusing anyone of wrongdoing, but reflects standard investigative procedures. She said the test will be the evidence gathered by investigators.
Among questions are whether Khan was under surveillance before the attack, whether ballistic and forensic evidence corroborates the reported circumstances, whether electronic communications and location data support the timeline and whether independent witnesses can verify what occurred.
Beyond the circumstances of the shooting, Rakubu believes the incident has affected public confidence in the commission. She said every witness scheduled to testify may now question whether adequate protection exists, while the public may wonder whether the truth can emerge without intimidation.
Theories not proven
For now, Rakubu said, neither the theory that Khan was targeted to silence him, nor suggestions the incident may have served another purpose, have been proven.
“What is established is that the convergence of Khan’s suspension, his testimony and attack have created one of the most significant tests yet of South Africa’s criminal justice,” Rakubu said.
In November, North West businessman and political fixer Brown Mogotsi, another witness in the commission, was shot at in an assassination attempt on Vosloorus on the East Rand.
But authorities have since alleged the attack was staged. He is facing criminal charges in connection with the incident.
Article: Caxton publication, The Citizen
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