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NPA withdraws fraud and corruption charges against Khumalo, Mokwele amid Madlanga Commission revelations
The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has moved to withdraw the fraud and corruption charges against Crime Intelligence boss Lieutenant-General Dumisani Khumalo, Brigadier Dineo Mokwele and their co-accused, following revelations at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry that have raised serious questions about the investigation and the decision to prosecute them.
The case stemmed from the June 2025 arrests of Khumalo, Mokwele and other senior Crime Intelligence officials over the alleged irregular appointment of Mokwele to a senior position within Crime Intelligence. The accused have consistently denied wrongdoing.
The latest development comes after weeks of testimony at the Madlanga Commission, where the circumstances surrounding the investigation, authorisation of the case and evidence used against the officials came under intense scrutiny.
Charges formally withdrawn
The NPA is expected to formally withdraw the charges, with National Director of Public Prosecutions Advocate Andy Mothibi having ordered that the charges against Khumalo, Mokwele and the other accused be withdrawn.
The decision follows revelations that have cast doubt on the way the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC) built its case.
According to reports, the commission heard that the original Section 27 referral affidavit named only three senior SAPS officers, but that the number of people targeted later expanded to 12. Questions were also raised about the authorisation process and whether investigators had sufficient evidence before summonses were issued.
Andrea Johnson’s evidence under scrutiny
Former IDAC head Advocate Andrea Johnson’s testimony became a key part of the controversy.
Johnson was questioned about the legal basis for the investigation into Khumalo and other Crime Intelligence officials. She conceded that she had signed off on summonses based on information presented to her by investigators without independently verifying the allegations.
Johnson told the commission she had “no reason to doubt the briefing that the investigator gave me”.
She also acknowledged that investigators within IDAC may have pursued certain investigations without the necessary authorisation.
The commission further heard allegations concerning supplementary statements and questions surrounding the authenticity of documentation relied upon during the investigation.
Mokwele appointment at the centre of the case
At the heart of the prosecution was the appointment of Mokwele, a former BMW engineer, to a position as a Crime Intelligence brigadier.
The investigation had questioned her qualifications and the circumstances surrounding her appointment. However, evidence presented during the Madlanga Commission challenged some of the assumptions underpinning the case, including claims concerning her qualifications and experience.
The charges against Khumalo and the other officials were provisionally withdrawn before the NPA’s latest move, while the commission continued examining the circumstances surrounding their arrests and prosecution.
Arrests that triggered a wider police crisis
The arrests had consequences far beyond the criminal case itself.
They became a major trigger for KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi’s explosive July 2025 allegations about alleged corruption, political interference and the infiltration of the criminal justice system.
Mkhwanazi’s claims ultimately contributed to the establishment of the Madlanga Commission, which is investigating allegations of criminality, political interference and corruption within South Africa’s criminal justice system.
The commission has since heard evidence about alleged interference in investigations and the conduct of various law-enforcement agencies.
What the withdrawal means
The withdrawal of the charges does not amount to a finding by a court that the accused were innocent of the allegations. Rather, it means the prosecution is no longer proceeding with the charges in their current form.
The decision places renewed focus on whether the original investigation met the required legal and evidentiary thresholds and whether the process used to bring the officials before court was properly authorised.
It also leaves the Madlanga Commission with significant questions to examine about how the case was initiated, how evidence was gathered and why senior Crime Intelligence officials were arrested and prosecuted.
The developments surrounding Khumalo and Mokwele have therefore become one of the most closely watched aspects of the inquiry, particularly as evidence from former IDAC officials continues to expose alleged weaknesses in the investigation.
For Khumalo, Mokwele and their co-accused, the withdrawal represents a major legal development after more than a year of facing serious fraud and corruption allegations.
Economy
Vegetables disappear from South African plates when winter hits
As temperatures drop, breakfasts become toast instead of tomatoes, lunches lean towards bread and soup, and hearty dinners replace lighter meals. It’s an entirely human response to winter, but one that can leave vegetables falling further down the shopping list.
Every winter, South Africans naturally gravitate towards warm, comforting meals, but in the process, vegetables are often the first thing to disappear from the plate. Tenderstem® broccoli believes the solution isn’t convincing people to abandon comfort food but making it easier to build vegetables into the meals they’re already cooking. Convenience is the real fix: making the healthy choice the easy one. It is the thinking behind an approach that encourages South Africans to include quick-cooking vegetables such as Tenderstem® broccoli, which needs only a few minutes to prepare and can be added straight into meals already on the stove, rather than requiring a separate dish of their own.
Cold weather tends to draw us towards warm, filling foods, with bread, pasta and other carbohydrate-heavy favourites often becoming the easiest choice. The problem is not the comfort food. It is what gets pushed aside to make room for it.
The nutritional data reflects this pattern. According to South Africa’s National Nutrition Week, adults in this country already consume an average of around 230g of fruit and vegetables daily, which is just 58% of the internationally recommended 400g intake. That is the baseline in any season. In winter, when lighter meals feel less appealing and hot, filling food becomes the natural choice, vegetables can become even easier to overlook.
Diets low in fruit and vegetables are associated with a greater risk of non-communicable diseases, including type 2 diabetes, hypertension and cardiovascular disease. Winter also coincides with South Africa’s flu season, making a varied diet especially relevant. Vitamin C and folate both contribute to normal immune function and can be found in a range of fresh vegetables.
The answer does not require complicated dietary changes or extra time in the kitchen. It starts with building greens into the meals people are already eating.
Start the week differently
One practical way to improve winter nutrition is to remove the daily decision. A vegetable egg bake or frittata, prepared on a Sunday evening and portioned into the fridge, provides a filling breakfast containing protein, vegetables and fibre for several days. On a cold weekday morning, having something ready to reheat makes the nutritious choice the convenient one.
Brassica greens work particularly well in this format because they hold their texture when baked and release less water than softer vegetables such as courgette or spinach. Tenderstem® broccoli can be added whole, requires no trimming and is edible from floret to stem. Fold a generous handful into whisked eggs, add cheese if desired and bake at 180°C for 20 to 25 minutes. Once portioned, it can be reheated in minutes.
It also answers a familiar winter problem. Breakfast often defaults to buttered toast, cereal or a rusk when the weather is cold and time is short. Preparing a vegetable-based protein option in advance changes that routine without adding pressure to the morning.
Add to what you already cook
Quick-cooking green vegetables can be added to soups, curries and lentil dishes in the final few minutes of cooking, making them an easy part of familiar winter meals.
The key is to choose a vegetable that holds its texture, works with robust flavours and requires little preparation. Tenderstem® broccoli cooks in three to five minutes and can be used from floret to stem. Add it to a butter chicken or lamb curry shortly before serving, stir it through soup or place it in a roasting tray with the roast for the final ten minutes of cooking. Even a grilled cheese sandwich can make room for a few green stems.
Each option fits into a meal that is already being prepared, without requiring a separate dish or additional washing up. An 80g serving counts as one of your five-a-day and is high in vitamin C and folate, which contribute to normal immune function. It also provides fibre, potassium and vitamin B6. “People do not stop caring about nutrition in winter. They choose food that feels warm, filling and manageable. The easiest way to keep vegetables on the menu is to build them into those familiar meals rather than treating them as a separate side dish,” explains Elise Ruddle, Chef and Nutritionist, South African brand representative for Tenderstem®.
Winter eating does not need to become a contest between comfort and nutrition. The more realistic answer is to make vegetables part of the comfort food itself. When greens belong in the curry, soup, breakfast bake or toasted sandwich, eating them no longer depends on anyone feeling virtuous.
