Police High Command Under Fire: Allegations of Evidence Tampering at Murder Scene

Scandal Rocks Intelligence Unit Following Allegations of Evidence Removal

A disturbing investigation has emerged surrounding the suspicious circumstances following the death of Lieutenant-General Sindile “Pitso” Mfazi in July 2021. Allegations have been leveled against two prominent figures within the police force, accusing them of orchestrating the removal and destruction of sensitive materials from the late official’s residence.

Former head of police crime intelligence, Major-General Mulangi Mphego, and Sergeant Ishmail Phungu are at the center of this controversy. According to legal documents and investigative reports, the pair allegedly entered Mfazi’s home shortly after his passing and confiscated classified documents without following mandatory police procedures. Investigators claim there is no record of the seizure—no chain of custody, no SAPS 13 receipt, and no pocketbook entries—which is a flagrant violation of law enforcement protocols.

The Phala Phala Connection

The stakes of this investigation are significantly heightened by the nature of the missing files. Reports indicate that the documents removed from the crime scene were intrinsically linked to the controversial Phala Phala investigation. At the time of his death, Lieutenant-General Mfazi was reportedly spearheading an inquiry into the fallout surrounding the February 2020 burglary at President Cyril Ramaphosa’s game farm.

While Mfazi was not tasked with investigating the theft of the currency itself, his work focused on explosive allegations regarding the misuse of state resources. Specifically, the inquiry sought to determine whether crime intelligence funds were unlawfully diverted to establish a covert, off-book operation aimed at tracking the burglars and managing the resulting political damage.

Missing Evidence and Regulatory Failures

An explosive affidavit provided by a witness who was present at Mfazi’s home on the day he died paints a chaotic picture of the scene. The witness reported that documents bearing the letterheads of the South African Police Service (SAPS), the Office of the Public Protector, and the National Prosecuting Authority were found scattered across the lounge area in significant disarray.

Key details of the allegations against Mphego and Phungu include:

• Unauthorized Entry: The officials are accused of acting outside their legal mandate to secure the scene.
• Destruction of Digital Evidence: Mphego allegedly ordered the purge of digital files present at the residence.
• Procedural Non-Compliance: The failure to document the removal of evidence has severely compromised the integrity of the investigation into Mfazi’s death.

Last month, authorities executed a raid on both Mphego and Phungu as part of a renewed effort to recover the missing evidence and hold those responsible for the obstruction of justice accountable. The disappearance of these files raises critical questions about the extent of internal interference within the police investigation into the Phala Phala scandal. As the probe continues, the public and oversight bodies are demanding transparency regarding what exactly was removed from the home of a high-ranking official and why those materials were deemed a threat by those in positions of power.