General Ebrahim Kadwa Loses Bid to Stop Police From Accessing Contents of Seized Phone, SA Reacts
- The Johannesburg High Court has made a ruling following Major General Ebrahim Kadwa's application for leave to appeal a ruling
- General Kadwa's phone was taken by police during his May 2026 arrest on charges linked to the Precious Metals Act and defeating justice
- South Africans weighed in on General Kadwa's continued fight to prevent the contents of his phone being accessed by the police
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Source: Twitter
Byron Pillay, a Briefly News journalist, has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He worked as a newspaper journalist for 10 years before transitioning to online.
GAUTENG — Gauteng Hawks head Major-General Ebrahim Kadwa has run out of options to stop police from accessing his seized mobile phone.
The Johannesburg High Court dismissed his application for leave to appeal to the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA). Acting Judge Bruce Leech, who presided over the application, found that Kadwa had no reasonable prospects of convincing the SCA that his phone was unlawfully seized.
The ruling means that unless Kadwa successfully applies for special leave to appeal directly to the SCA, the state will proceed to extract information from the device.
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Phone seized during May arrest
Police seized the general’s phone on 10 May 2026, the same day Kadwa was arrested alongside senior Crime Intelligence officer Major-General Feroz Khan and civilian businessman Tariq Downes. The three face charges including alleged illegal dealing and unlawful possession of precious metals, corruption, and defeating the ends of justice.
Kadwa's legal challenge centred on the argument that the phone was taken without a seizure warrant, rendering the seizure unlawful. He named Police Minister Firoz Cachalia, investigating officer Calvin Khorommbi, and the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry as respondents in the litigation.
The state intends to place evidence obtained from Kadwa's phone before the Madlanga Commission. Kadwa had argued the device contains State secrets, a claim that formed part of his motivation for seeking its return.
General Kadwa is reportedly planning on appealing the decision.
His co-accused, Major General Khan, faced a similar situation. Khan's phone was seized on the same day and evidence drawn from it, including alleged links to tender irregularities, has already been presented publicly at the Madlanga commission.
How did South Africans react?
Social media users reacted to the ruling, with several drawing comparisons to Khan's unsuccessful legal challenges.
@sparx_ltd asked:
"Didn't he learn anything from Khan's same futile exercise?"
Ashley Anthony Dion Pillay commented:
"So, he's trying to block the 'State' from accessing what he says are 'State' secrets.”
Sthembiso Zwane added:
"You delete, and we retrieve.”
@nosmoke567 questioned:
“But the man is innocent. Why does he want his phone?”
Erik Dipela expressed scepticism:
“Contains ‘State secrets’. Yeah right.”
SA questions why Kadwa is desperate to get his phone back
Briefly News highlighted facts about General Kadwa’s court attempt to recover his seized devices following his arrest.
With rising curiosity across social media, South Africans are left wondering what could be contained in these devices.
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Source: Briefly News
