On day four of public hearings, the Ad Hoc Committee established to investigate allegations made by the South African Police Service’s (SAPS) KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, heard testimony from well-known whistleblower Ms Patricia Mashale.
Ms Mashale implicated senior police officers and politicians, particularly in the Free State, in the alleged cover-up of serious crimes.
At the start of the proceedings, Committee Chairperson Mr Molapi Soviet Lekganyane introduced Ms Mashale and explained that she had initially been scheduled to appear as “Anonymous Witness 1”. For safety reasons, Ms Mashale asked the committee not to publicly disclose the exact date of her appearance.
Ms Mashale told the committee that she had heard allegations relating to the murder of witnesses linked to the Free State Vrede Dairy Farm case. A convicted prisoner and self-confessed hitman, Mr Zwelinzima Nquru, told her that certain police officers and a former premier were involved in these crimes.
She further alleged that anti-fraud investigator and employee of the Mangaung Metro Municipality in the Free State Ms Seipati Lechoano was killed by the same hitman who murdered a witness in the Vrede Dairy Farm case. Ms Mashale also said that Mr Nquru had implicated former Free State Premier Mr Ace Magashule in the matter.
Committee Chairperson Lekganyane noted that the committee had heard previously about the use of prisoners as hitmen. He referred to...
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