A police watchdog report recommending the prosecution of deputy national commissioner for policing Tebello Mosikili for lying under oath leaked just before midnight on Monday in what police sources described as a pre-emptive strike in anticipation that she was in line to be announced as acting national commissioner the following day.
A few days later, on Thursday night, President Cyril Ramaphosa placed embattled national police commissioner Fannie Masemola on precautionary suspension and appointed CFO and divisional commissioner for financial management services, Lt-Gen Puleng Dimpane, to act in his post.
The leaked confidential internal report of the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid), which was addressed to acting police minister Firoz Cachalia on August 29, 2025, stated that there was enough evidence to open a criminal case against Mosikili and that the docket had been prepared for a prosecutorial decision.
Before then, Mosikili had been mentioned as a possible stand-in for Masemola if he were suspended over criminal charges linked to a R360-million police tender involving businessman Vusimuzi Matlala.
Mosikili had acted as national commissioner 11 times, including between December 31, 2024, and January 13, 2025, and oversees visible policing, national interventions and coordination structures such as the National Joint Operational and Intelligence Structure – a high-level South African security body responsible for coordinating all police, intelligence and defence operations across the country.
In the Ipid report, the case against her stemmed from a July 2024 incident at Makro Centurion, where she reported the theft of a state-issued cellphone, bank cards and R10 000 in cash.
The matter drew scrutiny after a media report alleged she had attempted to secure appliances, including a microwave, through backdoor channels but got scammed when only empty boxes were delivered.
The suspects allegedly paid back the money after she opened a case, after which she was accused of taking the money in exchange for dropping the case.
Lying under oath constitutes the common law crime of perjury, which carries no fixed minimum sentence. Penalties are determined by court but can include imprisonment, fines or probation, with sentences in serious cases reaching up to 10 years or more.
Ipid’s investigation identified a series of problems in how the case was handled. “The original statement… is not in the docket,” the report notes, indicating that a key document used to open the case could not be found.
It further stated that the version later included in the docket was only commissioned on August 6, 2024, two weeks after the incident, raising concerns that evidence may have been reconstructed after the fact.
The report noted that the case against the suspects was later withdrawn after they allegedly repaid the R10 000, effectively turning a criminal matter into what Ipid described as a private settlement.
The watchdog said this raised questions about whether it was appropriate to withdraw the case on that basis, especially given that the matter involved the loss of a state cellphone containing classified information.
Ipid also found that although the missing state-issued cellphone required investigation, Mosikili “did not appear eager” for that aspect of the case to be pursued. Ipid said its review uncovered “several discrepancies” in how the matter was handled by both police investigators and prosecutors, raising broader concerns about the integrity of processes within the South African Police Service and the National Prosecuting Authority.
After consulting a senior state prosecutor, Ipid concluded that Mosikili’s conduct may amount to a criminal offence. “The conduct… gave rise to a prima facie case of perjury.”
On the issue of credibility, the report added that her statements were “materially contradictory… not minor or peripheral but related directly to the material facts”.
A criminal case for perjury was then registered, marking a shift from internal concerns to a formal investigation.
Mosikili was interviewed on August 14, 2025, and submitted a written explanation on August 22, 2025. Ipid said that the docket was being sent for a decision on whether she would be charged.
Mosikili has denied wrongdoing. In a sworn statement before Parliament, she said the documents used against her had been altered. “The copy of the handwritten statement… did not correspond with the first statement as I made it,” she said, adding that changes were made “without my knowledge or authority”.
Mosikili, who has more than 36 years of service, remains one of the most senior figures in SAPS and has repeatedly been entrusted with acting in the post – a factor that has placed her firmly in contention as the leadership crisis deepened.
- A leaked police watchdog report recommends prosecuting deputy national commissioner Tebello Mosikili for perjury related to a 2024 case involving a stolen state cellphone and a suspicious private settlement.
- The report highlights discrepancies in Mosikili’s statements, missing original documents, and concerns about police and prosecutorial integrity in handling the case.
- Mosikili was a top candidate to replace suspended national police commissioner Fannie Masemola, who was placed on precautionary suspension by President Ramaphosa amid a police tender corruption probe.
- The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) registered a criminal case, interviewed Mosikili, and is seeking a charging decision; Mosikili denies wrongdoing, alleging document tampering.
- Mosikili, with over 36 years in service and frequent acting national commissioner roles, remains a key figure amid South Africa’s police leadership crisis.
