Johnson says the first time she learned that Idac was looking into the PKTT was at the Madlanga commission.
Head of Crime Intelligence General Dumisani Khumalo. Picture: Nigel Sibanda/The Citizen
Former head of the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (Idac), Andrea Johnson, has struggled to explain certain actions taken by the institution she headed, despite having signed off on their authorisation.
On Tuesday, Johnson returned to the commission to respond to allegations that Idac unlawfully operates outside of its mandate and that it pursued a criminal case against Crime Intelligence head Dumisani Khumalo and other officials at Crime Intelligence.
Crime Intelligence appointments
While it was initially said that an affidavit by National Coloured Congress (NCC) leader Fadiel Adams had prompted the investigation into, and subsequent arrest of, Crime Intelligence officials, the commissioners said it appeared there was another force behind the investigations. This is because Johnson also signed a subpoena pertaining to other Crime Intelligence appointments.
“This investigation pertains to unlawful promotion appointment of personnel within the Division Crime Intelligence of the Saps. Where does that matter come from? Because paragraph five of Mr Adams’ affidavit complains specifically about the promotion – not even the promotion – the appointment of General Khumalo as the divisional commissioner of Crime Intelligence. How do we land here where the subpoena now implies that there’s a full-blown investigation into promotions, appointments of personnel within Crime Intelligence?” asked evidence leader Mahlape Sello.
Johnson said this was a preliminary investigation, not a full-blown one. She said the subpoena she signed may have been related to the appointment of Brigadier Dineo Mokwele.
Khumalo’s arrest
Khumalo was arrested on 26 June 2025 in connection with the alleged irregular appointment of a former BMW employee to the rank of brigadier.
While Johnson said the arrest resulted from a criminal complaint filed by Adams, Khumalo maintained that the corruption case against him was a labour-related dispute rather than criminal conduct.
This while KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi told parliament’s ad hoc committee in October last year that Khumalo’s arrest was an attempt to stop a criminal investigation in Gauteng.
“The arrest of Khumalo is a project to stop criminal investigations in Gauteng. The letter from the minister to disband PKTT is a project to stop criminal investigations in Gauteng,” said Mkhwanazi at the time.
However, Johnson said this was not true, saying that Khumalo was arrested for his conduct in his capacity as Crime Intelligence head. She said that at the time, she was not aware of Khumalo’s role in the PKTT.
Why PKTT?
However, it was established at the commission on Monday that Idac had been “inquiring” about the PKTT, and Johnson signed off on the summons pertaining to this inquiry.
“Please explain your insertion of item six in a section 28 summons dated April 2025, which summons all documents relating to promotions of commanders and members of the political killing task team,” said Sello.
“One of two things. You were fully aware that Idac was looking into PKTT. You authorised a summons requesting records of promotions within PKTT. On what basis and why?” asked Sello.
‘First time’
Johnson said the first time she learned that Idac was looking into the PKTT was at the commission on Monday.
“It’s the first time I see it in the affidavit. And I know that I also indicated earlier, chair, that I needed to find out if they had in fact done investigations,” responded Johnson.
Sello continued: “What does PKTT have to do with anything? And who informed you that it is necessary to obtain those records because PKTT is a subject of investigation?
“Commissioner Baloyi engaged with you, suggesting that you must have asked questions. You have an engagement with whoever presents the subpoena for your signature and approval, so you must have discussed item six, the digging into the PKTT. What were you informed about that? And did it cross your mind what basis we are enquiring on, what basis are we investigating PKTT and any aspect of PKTT for that matter?”
But Johnson said she could not recall asking the investigators about the PKTT.
“The question is why? Why was Idac investigating promotions and appointments in the PKTT? What was Idac’s interest in the PKTT?
“I didn’t have any other documents, but I sought to refresh my memory by engaging with the people who would have provided this document to me and for what conversations we would have had around this. And just to clarify that when I spoke to the project manager and to Mr Padayachee, they both have confirmed that we are not investigating a matter against the PKTT, exactly as I recalled it,” responded Johnson.
‘Hidden hand?’
Johnson said she called Idac investigators Brian Padayachee and Dylan Perumal to explain the PKTT investigation.
“I called Mr Padayachee and he indicated that I didn’t get that information from him. He indicated that this subpoena was prepared by Mr Perumal. I did try to call Mr Perumal; it is on my call log, but he’s not answering his phone. I’m unable to give the commission a proper and meaningful answer without engaging him on why this was there,” said Johnson.
Commissioner Sandile Khumalo said it looks like there was a “hidden hand” driving Idac investigations into Crime Intelligence and the PKTT.
“And the question is who and what is that hidden hand? Because this is not Mr Adams’s complaint. We’ve established that. So where do all these things come from? I mean, if you just look at that entire annexure B, this is not Mr Adams’ complaint, not just item six [PKTT], but going into the performance assessments of all major generals from 2022, 2023, of all provincial heads, of all section heads,” asked Khumalo.
“This is a much broader investigation into crime intelligence and quite clearly all members of PKTT. Who was driving this? Because it’s clearly not Mr Adams’s complaint. This is now something else altogether.
“You sitting there now looking at this, what does it look like to you?”
Political interference?
Johnson said while she could not comment on Khumalo’s conclusion, she could not speak on the truth of what was being put to her because she had no knowledge of an investigation into the PKTT despite her signature being on the subpoena.
“However, in the manner that it comes forward, and given the fact that I’ve also indicated, I have not seen an investigation, and we don’t have one into the political killings task team. The project manager who sits with all of the documentation confirms the same, as does Mr Padayachee,” responded Johnson.
“What was Idac’s motive? Was there political interference? Was there infiltration? Because those are the answers this commission must ask. It’s great that we are looking at facts. But facts point to individual cases where things went wrong. What is the big picture? Is it political interference? Is it infiltration of Idac by unknown people? Is it a hidden hand that we don’t see in any of these documents? Those are the questions we must ask ourselves,” continued Khumalo.
‘You must answer’
Johnson attempted to lay the blame on “the person who drew up this document”; however, the commissioners were not having it.
“No, I don’t think that’s right. No, that’s not right. The best person to answer is the person who authorises the summons. I think your investigators may well be entitled to put to you whatever they have gathered,” said Baloyi.
“You are the final decision maker. You are the one that asks the questions. You are the one that approves. And so you would have satisfied yourself that there is a valid basis for that enquiry into PKTT promotions of commanders and members.
“You would have satisfied yourself. Otherwise, if you were not satisfied with these explanations, you would have said, as a responsible leader who is exercising their power within the law and for the purpose for which it is given, you would have said, no, I’m not approving that.
“So, no, it’s not available to you to say the person who prepared the answers. You are the one who must answer. Why did you approve? Maybe he was taking a chance with you. Maybe he was acting on the instruction of a hidden hand, as Commissioner Khumalo suggests. There are many maybes why he would have done that. But you are the last person to speak on this. You are the last person. You are the one who approves.”
No explanation
However, Johnson still could not provide an explanation.
“I’m unfortunately unable to answer because I’m not aware of a political motive. But I cannot shy away from [the possibility] there might have been a hidden hand in how this played itself out and what was given to me and how it was given to me. I don’t have an explanation for you.”
