Ad Hoc Committee: Whistleblower Patricia Mashele Says Corruption Is Widespread in SAPS

• Whistleblower Patricia Mashale told Parliament that corruption in the South African Police Service (SAPS) is widespread, alleging that senior officers and politicians are involved in criminal activities
• She claimed that she and her husband were targeted and dismissed after exposing syndicates within SAPS, including the illegal sale of firearms to criminal networks
• Her testimony aligns with General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi’s warnings that criminal syndicates and political interference have deeply infiltrated SAPS

CAPE TOWN- Whistleblower and former police official Patricia Mashale has told Parliament that corruption inside the South African Police Service (SAPS) is deeply entrenched.

Mashale was the first witness to appear on Monday, 3 February 2026, before Parliament’s Ad Hoc Committee investigating police corruption.

Addressing the committee, Mashale said cartels had been infiltrating SAPS for years and that those who tried to expose the networks were targeted.

Mashele claims she and her husband were targeted

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At the onset of her testimony, Mashele claimed that she and her husband were dismissed after uncovering alleged syndicates operating from within the police service, adding that her husband was later arrested for speaking out about “the rot in SAPS”.

“While executing his duties, he came across massive corruption committed by a syndicate of police officers, drug lords, motor vehicle syndicates, traffic officers and others, most of whom were working within the crime intelligence environment,” Mashale said.

She further stated that as a result of her husband exposing the corruption, he and two colleagues were arrested and detained for 10 days without being charged. She added that in April 2008, all charges against them were dropped.

“What General Mkhwanazi said about cartels and syndicates didn’t start recently, but when you speak out about these things, they arrest you and add the charges later as they go,” she told the committee.

Firearms were allegedly sold to criminals.

Mashale, an administration clerk, said she had been reporting wrongdoing in the police service since 2008. She escalated the matter to SAPS management, the provincial MEC, former police minister Nathi Mthethwa, the Premier and the Office of former President Jacob Zuma, who she said instructed IPID to investigate.

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She further revealed that in 2018, she made a protected disclosure alleging that firearms meant for destruction were being sold by police officers to criminal syndicates. Mashale said she had identified the names of police officers involved in selling the firearms as well as the dealers who bought them.

Another disclosure was made in 2021 to the National Commissioner after her superiors allegedly failed to act on the 2018 report.

Mkhwanazi testifies about SAPS corruption in Parliament

General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi publicly declared that corruption within the South African Police Service (SAPS) runs deep during the July 6 briefing, asserting that criminal syndicates and cartels have infiltrated law enforcement and allied institutions. He claimed political interference, including the disbandment of key investigative units, has protected corrupt networks instead of dismantling them, calling into question the integrity of senior police leadership. Mkhwanazi’s remarks, made during a high‑profile press briefing that earned both praise and controversy, have intensified calls for urgent reforms and thorough investigations into SAPS corruption.

He was also the first person to testify at the Ad Hoc committee, reiterating his claims that criminal syndicates and political interference have deeply infiltrated the South African Police Service (SAPS) and undermined its effectiveness. His testimony highlighted serious concerns about internal corruption, political meddling in operational matters and the controversial disbandment of the Political Killings Task Team.

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Previously, Briefly News reported that EFF leader Julius Malema has demanded that General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi be subpoenaed to appear before Parliament’s Ad Hoc Committee, arguing that the police commissioner’s explosive allegations about corruption and interference in the South African Police Service must be heard without delay. Malema said it was unreasonable for the committee to postpone Mkhwanazi’s testimony and suggested that sidestepping his appearance would undermine efforts to expose alleged wrongdoing within SAPS.

Source: Briefly News