Former Crime Intelligence Brigadier Tiyani Hlungwani has told Parliament’s ad hoc committee that he was sidelined and later dismissed after refusing to authorize unlawful spending from the Secret Service Account, known as the police “slush fund.”
Hlungwani, who oversaw finances for covert operations, testified that his refusal to release R45 million for a surveillance device before the ANC’s 2017 Nasrec conference led to sustained pressure and occupational detriment. He said the payment request was irregular and reported it to oversight bodies, leading IPID to intervene.
He alleged that current Crime Intelligence head Lieutenant-General Dumisani Khumalo was angered by Hlungwani’s subsequent acquittal in a related criminal case and blocked his return to the unit. Hlungwani was later transferred to a “non-existent” position for nearly six years before being dismissed for alleged absenteeism—a move he called procedurally irregular.
Hlungwani stressed his testimony aimed to expose systemic governance failures, not personal grievances. The committee will continue questioning him on Thursday.