Top South African police officer survives assassination attempt
South Africa's deputy crime intelligence boss Maj-Gen Feroz Khan survived an assassination attempt in Johannesburg. He was shot on Sunday evening while driving home and underwent emergency surgery. The attack occurred days before his scheduled appearance before a commission investigating police criminality.
One of South Africa's most senior police officers, Deputy Crime Intelligence Boss Major General Feroz Khan, has survived an assassination attempt in Johannesburg. According to local media, Khan was shot on Sunday evening as he was driving home and has since been rushed to hospital for emergency surgery.
South African police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said in a statement on Monday that police were investigating the incident. She cautioned that it is premature and irresponsible to speculate on any possible motive or to conclude that the incident is linked to his anticipated appearance before the public inquiry.
The inquiry, known as the Madlanga commission, was established after senior police officer Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi alleged last July that organized crime groups had infiltrated the government.
Khan and two other individuals were arrested last month for alleged illegal dealing in and unlawful possession of precious metals. This stems from a 2021 incident when a businessman was found with 75.9 grams of unwrought gold at Johannesburg's OR Tambo International Airport. The businessman claimed he was acting as an undercover agent linked to senior police officers. Investigators later found that no authorized undercover operation involving precious metals existed at the time, but instead Khan and another officer instructed officers to release the businessman, prosecutors said in May. Khan has not commented on the allegations and has been released on bail.
