Top SAPS Official Ousted Amid Sprawling R39m Investigation into Asset Holdings

Major General Feroz Khan's dismissal from the South African Police Service on Wednesday, 2 September, closes one chapter while leaving the more consequential ones wide open. SAPS removed Khan, who held the rank of deputy head of Crime Intelligence, after he failed to appear before the designated senior officer conducting expeditious disciplinary proceedings. The dismissal was executed under Regulation 9(7)(b) of the SAPS Discipline Regulations, following the Labour Court's rejection of Khan's urgent application to block the process. The financial anomalies underpinning the disciplinary action remain central to multiple ongoing inquiries. Khan's declared asset base includes approximately R39 million in property and roughly 30 vehicles acquired within a single year, a profile that investigators contend is inconsistent with his police salary. This discrepancy has become a focal point for the Madlanga Commission's examination of Khan's conduct within Crime Intelligence, where evidence leaders have presented WhatsApp communications and material recovered from his electronic devices to suggest involvement in irregular tender facilitation for tobacco interests and alleged transmission of confidential police information to external political actors. Khan's criminal exposure originates in a May 2021 incident at OR Tambo International Airport. He was arrested alongside Gauteng Hawks head Major General Ebrahim Kadwa and businessman Tariq Downes following allegations of unlawful possession of precious metals and defeating the ends of justice. Prosecutors allege that Downes was found carrying 75.9 grams of unwrought gold and claimed authorization for an undercover operation. Khan and Kadwa allegedly intervened to secure Downes' release, though investigators determined no authorized operation existed. All three were granted R20,000 bail. The matter remains pending in the Kempton Park Magistrates' Court with no trial date set. By contrast, the Madlanga Commission has pursued a broader operational audit running parallel to the criminal proceedings. Lieutenant Colonel Nkoana Joseph Sebola testified that Khan's involvement in a 2021 Aeroton cocaine seizure was irregular and that he interfered in subsequent investigations. Evidence leader advocate Adila Hassim pressed Khan's financial profile extensively, questioning how reported income exceeded his police salary given the documented property portfolio and vehicle acquisitions. This line of inquiry connects to a separate allegation that former Investigating Directorate Against Corruption head Andrea Johnson leaked a 2018 police docket to Khan before he provided a warning statement, potentially allowing advance preparation of his defense. Johnson invoked her right against self-incrimination when questioned, citing an NPA docket under consideration for prosecution. Medical certificates submitted to explain Khan's absences came under scrutiny this week. Hassim raised concerns about document dates, and Khan's doctor reportedly told the commission that Khan's son had requested date changes, resulting in backdated notes. Khan was shot and wounded in an apparent murder attempt in Johannesburg in June, days before he was scheduled to testify before the commission. The commission has emphasized that allegations against Khan remain untested. He has not given evidence before the inquiry and has not had the opportunity to respond to all charges. SAPS stated it would continue respecting court decisions and providing further information about the dismissal where legally permissible. Whether Khan will eventually appear before the commission to contest the financial and operational allegations, or whether the criminal proceedings in Kempton Park will reach a verdict first, remains the question that will define the next phase of both inquiries.