Sergeant Fannie Nkosi’s bail delayed amid investigations

South African Police Service (Saps) Sergeant Fannie Nkosi will remain behind bars after the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court postponed his bail application.

Nkosi appeared in court for the first time on Tuesday, 7 April, following his arrest last week.

His arrest stems from a police operation carried out at his home in Pretoria North on 2 April under a J51 search-and-seizure warrant.

During the search, police recovered several rounds of unlicensed ammunition and a state-issued hand grenade.

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Investigators also found several police case dockets linked to different police stations.

Nkosi now faces multiple charges, including possession of unlicensed ammunition, theft, defeating the ends of justice, and failure to properly secure firearms and ammunition in terms of the Firearms Control Act.

This marks the second raid at Nkosi’s home, with a previous search conducted in October 2025.

Sergeant Fannie Nkosi’s bail delayed

The state told the court on Tuesday it was not in a position to proceed with Nkosi’s bail application, saying that further investigation is required before the matter can continue.

The prosecution said it still needs to examine the case dockets allegedly found in Nkosi’s possession and complete tests on explosives seized during the operation.

His lawyers, however, argued for the court to hear his bail application.

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The court postponed the matter to 13 April, when Nkosi is expected to formally apply for his bail.

He will remain in custody in the meantime.

Nkosi will be held in the hospital section of Kgosi Mampuru II Correctional Centre in Pretoria.

Firearms storage and ammunition under scrutiny

Speaking outside court after the media were barred from filming proceedings, national police spokesperson Athlenda Mathe revealed that seven licensed firearms were recovered from Nkosi.

She said what was concerning was that only four of the firearms were in a safe.

Among the weapons found were a .38 Special revolver hidden in a mattress, an R5 rifle under a bed and a 9mm Beretta pistol inside a vehicle.

“According to the Firearms Control Act, all firearms must be locked up in a safe and the safe must be installed and mounted on a wall or on the floor. It mustn’t be easily removable,” the police spokesperson told reporters.

Authorities also recovered ammunition for AK-47 rifles, 9mm pistols and R5 rifles.

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Mathe added that the presence of state-issued ammunition was “a red flag”, as Nkosi had been suspended on 28 March.

She explained that he was obliged to hand over all state property, and his being in possession of that amounted to defeating the ends of justice and theft.

“You all are aware that he is a detective. It’s nothing strange if he’s in possession of dockets, but it should be dockets that he is assigned to; that he is mandated to investigate.

“But given that he is on suspension, then he shouldn’t be in possession of any Saps property.”

Dockets

Six dockets – five originals and one copy – linked to violent crimes, including cash-in-transit robberies and carjackings in areas such as Roodepoort and Musina, were allegedly found in a backroom at Nkosi’s property.

Mathe revealed that all the cases had previously been closed and marked as “undetected”.

She explained that when a docket is closed as undetected, it means no links or new information could be found, and the case is then archived.

According to Mathe, archived dockets should be stored at police stations, not kept by investigating officers.

“Our team now has been deployed to the various police stations where these dockets were registered just to ascertain how he got a hold of these dockets, what are these dockets doing in his possession and what role he played.”

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A significant amount of cash was also found in Nkosi’s possession, including more than R50 000 in addition to R385 000 seized during an earlier raid.

Investigations are ongoing to determine where the money came from and why it was not deposited in the bank, Mathe added.

The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) indicated that more charges could be added as the investigation progresses.

NPA regional spokesperson Lumka Mahanjana confirmed the state intends to oppose bail due to the “seriousness of the crime”.

Madlanga commission allgeations

Nkosi, who serves as a detective in Gauteng police’s organised crime unit, has also come under scrutiny in recent weeks due to allegations of corruption.

He has been implicated at the Madlanga commission, where it has been alleged that he acted as a key intermediary between senior police officials and suspected members of the so-called “Big Five” cartel.

Nkosi, who is suspended, is among five police officers currently under criminal investigation.

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