The South African Police Service (SAPS) has officially terminated the employment of suspended Crime Intelligence deputy head, Major General Feroz Khan, enforcing his dismissal with immediate effect.
National police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe confirmed that the high-ranking officer was deemed dismissed under Regulation 9(7)(b) of the SAPS Discipline Regulations after he failed to appear before a designated senior officer leading an expedited internal disciplinary process.
The decisive move by police management follows a significant legal setback for Khan. The Labour Court recently struck down an urgent application brought forward by the Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (POPCRU), which had attempted to block the fast-tracked disciplinary proceedings.
Following the ruling, SAPS leadership reiterated its commitment to organizational accountability, stating firmly that no member of the police service is above the law or immune to established disciplinary frameworks, regardless of their rank or position.
This dismissal marks a critical turning point in a broader saga involving Khan, who remains a central figure in the ongoing Madlanga Commission of Inquiry. The judicial commission is currently investigating deep-seated systemic corruption, the infiltration of criminal syndicates, and political meddling within the nation’s law enforcement agencies.
Khan’s path to the inquiry has been fraught with delays and dramatic events. The former Crime Intelligence boss survived an apparent assassination attempt when he was shot multiple times in Houghton, Johannesburg, just days before he was initially scheduled to testify. In the aftermath, his legal representatives consistently sought postponements by citing severe medical complications.
However, these medical excuses have faced intense scrutiny. The commission recently heard damning allegations that a medical certificate submitted by Khan to SAPS had been backdated and altered after its initial receipt. In response to these discrepancy claims, Commission Chairperson Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga ordered Khan to undergo an independent medical evaluation to verify his fitness.
Consequently, his mandated testimony has been rescheduled to later this month, while he simultaneously navigates separate criminal charges regarding the unlawful possession of precious metals.