Senior Prosecutor Tells Madlanga Commission Maj-Gen Lushaba Was a Syndicate Victim, Not a Suspect

• Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Adv Peter Serunye testified that Maj-Gen Philani Lushaba was drugged and robbed by a criminal syndicate
• Serunye concluded the case had no prosecutorial merit after reviewing the docket and finding CCTV footage and bank records supported Lushaba's account
• The senior prosecutor suggested the charges may have been driven by internal conflicts within Crime Intelligence rather than objective evidence

SOUTH AFRICA — A senior prosecutor told the Madlanga Commission that Crime Intelligence investigators pursued criminal charges against a police general who was, in fact, the victim of a targeted syndicate operation.

According to Sunday World, Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Adv Peter Serunye delivered testimony during hearings on 5 August 2026, examining how high-profile Crime Intelligence cases were initiated and authorised. Serunye received the docket relating to Maj-Gen Philani Lushaba on 8 August 2025.

After reviewing the matter, he concluded it held no prosecutorial merit. According to his testimony, Lushaba had been drugged and robbed of state property, including his laptop and cellphone, following an encounter with a sex worker. Serunye told the commission that CCTV footage and bank records corroborated Lushaba's account that he had been deliberately targeted, not that he had committed any offence.

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Case fell outside IDAC's mandate

Serunye stated that the matter did not fall within the mandate of the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC). He raised these concerns with former IDAC head Advocate Andrea Johnson, who recently resigned, and members of the prosecution team.

In response, chief investigator Dylan Perumal produced an unsigned statement from Crime Intelligence deputy head Maj-Gen Feroz Khan. Serunye informed Perumal on 31 August that the statement added little value to the state's case. The senior prosecutor also criticised the duplication of charges relating to defeating the ends of justice, describing them as unnecessary and unsupported by the evidence on record.

Internal conflict alleged as driving force

In his most pointed remarks to commissioners, Serunye suggested the prosecution of Lushaba may have been motivated by rivalries and internal disputes within Crime Intelligence rather than by any objective assessment of the evidence. The commission continues to hear testimony on how investigations of this nature were authorised and who sanctioned them.

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I was set up: Peter Serunye

In a related article, Briefly News reported on the ongoing testimony of Advocate Peter Serunye at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry, where he addressed his role in the investigation into senior Crime Intelligence officers. The revelations raised significant questions regarding the integrity of the prosecutorial process and the circumstances surrounding the arrests of key officials.

Source: Briefly News