Senior South African police officer survives assassination attempt

JOHANNESBURG — One of South Africa’s most senior police officers has survived an attempted assassination in Johannesburg.Embattled crime intelligence officer Feroz Khan has been the target of a shooting in the upscale Johannesburg suburb of Houghton, the South African Police Service (SAPS) said early on Monday.The police did not detail the extent of his wounds, but South African media reported that he was shot twice in the abdomen as he was driving home on Sunday evening and was rushed to hospital in a critical condition. The shooting comes just days before Khan was due to testify at a public inquiry set up to investigate criminality in South Africa’s police force.The deputy crime intelligence chief remains on suspension as he was arrested, alongside two other people, in May for alleged links to illegal gold dealing.South African police spokesperson Brig Athlenda Mathe said in a statement released on Monday that police were investigating Khan’s shooting.”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 [inquiry],” she said.The inquiry, known as the Madlanga commission, was set up after senior police officer Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi alleged last July that organized crime groups had infiltrated the government.Khan was called to testify at the inquiry after his name came up several times, including in relation to a botched drug bust that took place in Johannesburg in 2021.Local online publication Daily Maverick says Khan was expected to be questioned on his alleged ties to firebrand politician Julius Malema and political fixer Brown Mogotsi.He, another senior police officer and a businessman were arrested last month for alleged illegal dealing in, and unlawful possession of, precious metals.This stems from a 2021 incident when the businessman was found with unwrought gold weighing 75.9g (2.7 oz) at Johannesburg’s OR Tambo international airport.When questioned, the businessman claimed he was acting as an undercover agent for senior police officers.Investigators later found that “no authorized undercover operation involving precious metals existed at the time” but that Khan, and another officer had “instructed officers” to release the businessman, prosecutors said in May.He has not yet commented on the allegations but had been freed on bail.