Whistleblower Patricia Mashale has told Parliament that police officers and politicians hired hitmen from prison to silence people who knew too much about corruption cases.
Mashale, a former SAPS employee who has blown the whistle on graft for years, appeared before the Ad Hoc Committee probing corruption in the police. She was the first witness on the day of public hearings in Cape Town.
She said corruption in the South African Police Service is very widespread, especially in the Free State, and called on the committee to take strong action.
Mashale pointed to the Vrede Dairy Farm project scandal, a government plan worth millions to help black farmers that went wrong. Funds were allegedly misused, with links to former Free State premier Ace Magashule and others.
She claimed that witnesses in corruption probes were targeted and killed to cover up crimes. Mashale named anti-fraud officer Seipati Lechoano as one victim. She said the same hitman who killed Lechoano also murdered a witness in the Vrede case.
The whistleblower relied on testimony from self-confessed inmate Zwelinzima Nquru, who is said to have admitted that prison hitmen were used for these jobs. Mashale alleged that police and politicians arranged these killings from behind bars to protect themselves.
Committee chairperson noted that similar evidence about crimes planned in prisons had come up before. The panel promised to look closely at Mashale’s claims and review all the information she presented.
Mashale has made protected disclosures since 2018 about issues like firearms going missing from police stores and other serious problems. She has faced threats and says she fears for her life because of her fight against corruption.
Her testimony has once again put the spotlight on deep-rooted problems in law enforcement and politics. Many South Africans want answers and real steps to stop the abuse of power.
The committee is still hearing evidence as it investigates claims of political meddling and corruption across the criminal justice system.