General Mfazi

Mr Nku first advised police about information possibly involving criminality some time before sharing with General Mfazi.

“When you advised General Mfazi of this information, was it the first time you ever advised police about information possibly involving criminality? No, Chair. It was not the first time.”

When sharing information with General Mfazi, Mr Nku used a secured network or app for communication.

“Mr Nku, just to make me understand, when you shared this information with General Mfazi, you indicated that you used a secured network or a secured app.”

Mr Nku acknowledged there should have been a record of the secured communication with General Mfazi, and that it will be addressed later in his testimony.

“There should have been. There was. ... Maybe that will be addressed in 2.7 ... It will be addressed in 2.7 as to what happened after.”

Mr Nku shared the information with both General Mfazi and Komisa Maphatsoe via a conduit and did not disclose his source to them.

“I share with both ... Because I was introduced to him by Komisa Maphatsoe ... My communication with him could not be more direct ... Because I know him through a conduit ... I needed to make the information or avail the information to a platform where both of them are aware when I give information ... No, I had not disclosed any of my source ... At no material time have I disclosed any of my source ...”

Mr Nku never disclosed his source to Komisa Maphatsoe or General Mfazi and the recipients acted on second-hand information from him.

“No, I had not ... They simply acted on your, I suppose, second-hand information as it were ... I would say that ... But maybe to them it was coming from me ... But it is not your direct, because you have your source ...”

Mr Nku shared information with Lieutenant General Sindile Mfazi through an introduction by former Deputy Minister of Defence, Komisa Kebby Maphatsoe, but the information was intended for General Mfazi only, not for Lieutenant General Mfazi personally.

“I shared this information with Lieutenant General Sindile Mfazi, whom I was initially introduced to by former Deputy Minister of Defence, Komisa Kebby Maphatsoe ... the information was not intended for him. Information was intended to General Mfazi.”

MR NKU's acquaintance with General Mfazi was gained in early 2019 or possibly as late as 2018, which was before he knew General Mfazi, making his acquaintance with Chief Mashaba earlier than with General Mfazi.

“I had gained the acquaintance of General Mfazi in 2022. In 2021, rather, apologies. But with Chief Mashaba, it might be in 2019. I stand to be corrected, it might even be maybe late 2018. But I believe it is early, early 2019. So, ja, that was two years back, way before I knew General Mfazi.”

MR NKU states that the need for General Mfazi arose due to the unreliability of Chief Mashaba.

“Because of the unreliability of Chief Mashaba, Chair.”

Mr Nku gained access to the individual's device via sophisticated zero-day, zero-click military-grade offensive cyber-exploitation tools while probing kidnapping-related info, uncovering intelligence about illicit arms trafficking and narcotics distribution; he alerted the initial intelligence source about these other criminal activities and began engaging General Mfazi who appeared to be an underworld figure connected to the individual.

“Through my recon, I eventually gained access to the individual's device by means of a sophisticated zero-day, zero-click exploit that, at the time, I still had access to highly sophisticated military-grade offensive cyber-exploitation tools... While probing information relating to the suspected kidnapping activities, I uncovered deeply concerning intelligence pertaining to illicit arms trafficking and narcotics distribution... I immediately alerted the individual who had initially provided me with the intelligence and advised him that though no information relating to kidnapping had been identified on the specific device, I had discovered evidence suggestive of other serious criminal activities... It was at this juncture that I began engaging General Mfazi, as the individual appeared to be a significant underworld figure with connections to...”

Mr Nku considered himself a confidential source rather than having a formal handler-informer relationship with SAPS members like Lieutenant General Mfazi or Chief Mashaba.

“I regarded myself as his confidential source, not the handler-informer relationship. ... knowing that he is not a SAPS member, in the context of SAPS, I do not think that that would be the case.”

Chief Mashaba confirms he was not aware at any point that Mr Nku had spoken to Lieutenant General Mfazi before his death and specifically denies knowledge of any engagement between Mr Nku and Lieutenant General Mfazi while alive.

“I knew after his death or after he passed on .”

Chief Mashaba was informed recently by Nku that General Mfazi died on 8 July 2021.

“I was told by Nku recently that he died, I think on the 8th of July.”

Nku intended to involve Chief Mashaba in offloading drugs from trucks, offering tips to execute a legitimate operation, but there is no confirmation Nku previously engaged General Mfazi who died 8 July 2021.

“He involves you in that you say he was giving you a tip off so that you could execute a legitimate operation. And really, we do not have anyone to confirm that he had previously engaged with General Mfazi because General Mfazi is no more about the same information that he gives you on the 8th of July 2021. Correct?”

General Mfazi, who Mr Mogotsi says was the first person to whom his handler reported, is also deceased.

“General Mfazi, who you say in your statement is the first person to whom your handler reported, has also passed away.”

All of the people named by Mr Mogotsi as involved in his Crime Intelligence operations are deceased.

“All of them, but let me not incriminate myself, Chair.”

Mr Mogotsi says General Sibiya took over the space of General Mfazi after his passing, not the whole operations.

“Ja, not my operations, he took over the space of General Mfazi.”

General Mfazi called Mr Mogotsi initially, but General Sibiya arrived after the elections and took over arrangements.

“He was called by General Mfazi in the first place. General Sibiya came in after the elections. Recently, when we needed another DNC, it is the co-handler who went to talk to him, who arranged all those things, it is not me.”