Johannesburg police accused of links to criminal syndicates in South Africa
In Johannesburg, South Africa, Elmarie de Beer, head of the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department’s (JMPD) internal investigations unit, told the Madlanga Commission hearings about alleged cooperation between certain police officers and criminal syndicates. According to Daily Maverick, the Tactical Response Unit, the Special Projects Unit and the JMPD K9 unit are most frequently mentioned in the allegations.
According to de Beer, some law enforcement officers allegedly created informal networks of informants. Civilians who worked at or were near selected businesses could monitor their activities in exchange for payment. The alleged targets included businesses with high cash turnover, Chinese suppliers, as well as copper, gold, diamonds and precious stones.
Allegations against a former chief
Former JMPD officer Phineas Manyama, who previously headed the Tactical Response Unit, is named in a number of allegations described by de Beer. According to her testimony, he determined the areas where police officers worked and could declare certain territories closed to regular patrols. Internal investigations received information that Manyama allegedly ordered officers to escort trucks carrying stolen copper, instructed them to stop pursuing a suspect in a drug crime, and to halt an inspection after cocaine was found.
More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.
According to de Beer, the internal investigations unit sought to initiate disciplinary action against Manyama, but the process was not completed before his resignation in April 2026. No criminal investigation was conducted into these allegations due to the lack of direct physical evidence, although the unit knew of possible additional evidence, including WhatsApp correspondence between police officers.
Alleged robberies and interference
De Beer also described allegations of the robbery of a Zimbabwean woman: according to her, three Tactical Response Unit officers allegedly took about 80,000 rand from the woman, which she had collected for a relative’s funeral. The woman and her brother were reportedly detained near a shop after a search and threatened with fabricated money-laundering charges. With the assistance of a Hawks representative, the three officers were arrested, but a lawyer later attempted to withdraw the charges on behalf of the complainant, with whom contact had been lost.
Separately, de Beer alleged the robbery of a businessman of 1.5 million rand using a Special Projects Unit vehicle. According to her, Inspector Emma Phakoane, commander Tintswalo Rikhotso and Hawks captain Mabunda Matimu allegedly offered Hawks investigators 550,000 rand to compromise the investigation. All these claims were made during the commission’s hearings and are not facts established by a court.
