South Africa: Probe Into Igi Alleged Misconduct Stalled As Secret-Fund Millions Remain Without Scrutiny

Very little to no progress has been made into the investigation of alleged misconduct by suspended Inspector General of Intelligence Imtiaz Fazel, and while his legal and parliamentary battles remain unresolved, expenditure of secret intelligence funds, estimated at more than R1-billion, has effectively gone without proper oversight for more than a year.

More evidence has emerged of a seemingly chaotic scramble by South Africa's intelligence apparatus to neutralise the now-suspended Inspector General of Intelligence (IGI), Imtiaz Fazel.

A newly emerged letter penned by Fazel, dated 9 June 2026 and directed at Parliament, contains fresh allegations against the National Intelligence Coordinating Committee (Nicoc) and the Joint Standing Committee on Intelligence (JSCI).

The letter, for the first time, implicates Nicoc in Fazel's suspension by President Cyril Ramaphosa on 14 October last year. It also reveals that the JSCI had told Ramaphosa in February this year that its investigation into Fazel's alleged misconduct, which originally justified his suspension, had been "restarted".

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In doing so the JSCI has seemingly abandoned the basis of its initial recommendation for Fazel's removal - four months after the fact.

Fazel's letter - which amaBhungane has seen - is addressed to the Speaker of National Assembly, Thoko Didiza, and her deputy, Annelie Lotriet.

"On 15 April 2026, I wrote to the Chairperson of the JSCI [Sylvia Lucas]. I expressed concern that, despite having informed the President on 20 September 2025 that it was investigating my conduct, and despite that supposed investigation having formed the basis for my suspension by the President,...

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