A KwaZulu-Natal detective has opened a criminal case of kidnapping, intimidation and theft against members of the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT), alleging that he was prevented from leaving the provincial police headquarters and pressured to implicate three men in an alleged plot against provincial police commissioner Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi.
Detective Sergeant Carlton Anthony Thomas says in a sworn statement that he was summoned from Brighton Beach police station to the SAPS provincial office in Durban on March 18, where members of the PKTT questioned him about a police escort he had helped arrange in 2025.
Thomas alleges the questioning then turned to former Independent Police Investigative Directorate head Robert McBride, Maj-Gen Feroz Khan and Fadiel Adams MP.
“The PKTT members then informed me that I must implicate … McBride … Khan and … Adams in my statement to say that they were all part of a plot against … Mkhwanazi,” Thomas states. “I then refused to take such unlawful instructions.”
The allegations are contained in Brighton Beach CAS 142/03/2026, opened on the same day as the alleged incident.
Thomas says the events began at about 8.30am when he received a call from a Brig Saunders of the KZN SAPS provincial office.
“He then informed me that he was instructed by … Mkhwanazi to contact me and that I must report immediately to his office … ” Thomas states.
“Maj-Gen Gopaul then informed me that … Mkhwanazi wanted a statement from me to assist him at the parliamentary ad hoc committee as he was testifying at 10am the same day.”
Thomas says PKTT members began questioning him about an incident in 2025 in which he had arranged a police escort involving a “high-profile person” who was being taken to prison.
He says he was then asked whether he knew McBride, Khan and Adams.
Thomas alleges that after refusing to implicate the three men, he attempted to leave because he suffers from high blood pressure and liver disease and needed medication.
“They then refused to let me leave the room.”
When he again tried to leave, Thomas alleges officers physically stopped him from doing so.
“I then refused and got up to leave when they blocked me from leaving the boardroom.”
“I told him that I will not hand over my cellphone without a warrant, and on what grounds was it being seized, as no offence had been committed?”
A consent-to-search form contained in the docket records Thomas as authorising the police to search electronic equipment, including a Samsung cellphone. The document states that permission was given voluntarily and that Thomas had not been threatened, induced or promised anything in exchange.
Thomas’s affidavit, however, records his allegation that the device was taken after he demanded a warrant. A second statement explains the 2025 incident that later became the subject of the PKTT questioning.
Thomas says that while working at Brighton Beach police station in January or February 2025, several vehicles arrived carrying men who identified themselves as DPCI (Hawks) members, saying they needed “an escort to prison for a high-profile person”.
Thomas says he assisted in arranging the escort.
“Nobody of a high-profile nature was in one of the DPCI vehicles or amongst them,” he states. “I had a clear view of their motor vehicles, and if any prominent person was in there, I would have noticed them.”
Thomas ended his affidavit with: “I hereby open a criminal case for kidnapping, intimidation and theft against the PKTT members.”
Provincial police spokesperson Col Robert Netshiunda declined to comment.
- Detective Sergeant Carlton Anthony Thomas has filed a criminal case for kidnapping, intimidation, and theft against members of the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT).
- Thomas alleges he was summoned to the SAPS provincial office in Durban on March 18 and pressured by PKTT members to implicate Robert McBride, Maj-Gen Feroz Khan, and Fadiel Adams in a plot against Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi.
- Despite being physically prevented from leaving and having his cellphone seized without a warrant, Thomas refused to comply with the unlawful instructions.
- The incident relates to a 2025 event where Thomas helped arrange a police escort for a supposed "high-profile person" which he later disputed involved any prominent individual.
- Provincial police spokesperson Col Robert Netshiunda declined to comment on the allegations.
