The assassination of former ANC Youth League secretary-general Sindiso Magaqa in July 2017 was carried out using state-owned weapons, according to a bombshell affidavit obtained by Sunday World.
The affidavit, penned by an undercover operative under witness protection, exposes a shocking conspiracy involving the misuse of crime intelligence resources and a potential cover-up within the highest echelons of the South African Police Service (SAPS).
Magaqa, a 35-year-old ANC councillor in Umzimkhulu at the time, succumbed to his injuries in September 2017 at Albert Luthuli Hospital. Celeb Gossip News understandard that about 15 gun shots were fired at his car when he was assassinated. The affidavit details how Magaqa and two other Umzimkhulu councillors, Jabu Mzizi-msiya and Ntsiki Mafa (who survived), were ambushed and shot on 13 July 2017. The operative, whose identity is protected, reveals that the weapon used – an AK-47 – and the getaway vehicle, a Mercedes Benz, were purchased with funds from the crime intelligence slush fund.
The affidavit names Jabulani Sgora Mdunge and Sibusiso Malusi Ncengwa as the perpetrators. The operative claims he recruited Mdunge as a police informer on 10 May 2017, as part of his duties with the Multi-dimensional Organised Crime unit, a deep undercover unit he's been part of since 2013. His role involved identifying and infiltrating crime syndicates and recruiting informers. Mdunge, a gang leader, was one such recruit.
The operative alleges that a project codenamed "Project Blow Out," initially intended to target crime syndicates, was misused to target ANC councillors, including Magaqa. He states unequivocally: “This project blowout is the very same project that killed ANCYL secretary general Sindiso Magaqa. Magaqa was shot and killed by the very same informer, Mdunge, and his friend, Ncengwa. I will be testifying in court, telling the court about this project above and how the crime intelligence unit got involved in the killing of Magaqa and other ANC councillors.”
The operative further accuses his superiors of using the crime intelligence unit as a "Third Force," using the secret service account to purchase stolen cars and unlicensed firearms, supplying them to criminals to target ANC councillors, and then eliminating informants to cover up evidence. He describes in detail how the car and guns used in Magaqa’s killing were purchased with crime intelligence funds. He was even present when Mdunge received the money into his FNB account and when the AK-47 and ammunition were acquired.
“I was present when it was bought, and the money was deposited in Mr Jabulani Mdunge’s FNB account. They also bought him an AK-47, and they asked me to accompany Mdunge to Msinga to fetch the AK-47, and indeed we went and bought it. They also bought him ammunition, and I was also present when all this was happening,” he explained.
The operative reveals that he raised concerns when Mdunge informed them on 2 July 2017 that he and Ncengwa had been hired to kill Magaqa, who was allegedly threatening to expose senior officials from Umzimkhulu municipality. His concerns were dismissed by his superiors. He recounts his protest: “I then told them that should this case happen, should these guys, our informer and his friend, go and kill Magaqa, and when the case backfires, I will not cover them up, but I will tell the truth because I’m not in the business of killing ANC councillors like they do.”
The hit on Magaqa was executed on 13 July 2017, with Mdunge and Ncengwa receiving R120,000 in cash. When the murder risked exposure, a hit was ordered on Mdunge, who was killed. Ncengwa, however, survived and was later arrested for a cash-in-transit heist, receiving a 95-year sentence in the Pietermaritzburg High Court in March 2022.
The operative himself faced victimisation, including several assassination attempts and a false charge in January 2019, which was dismissed due to lack of evidence. A senior official from the National Prosecuting Authority, aware of the assassination plots, placed him under witness protection. He reported the matter to the national head office and the Inspector General of Intelligence (IG) in 2021.
While an investigation was conducted, the operative claims a cover-up continues. Current IG Imtiaz Fazel confirmed an investigation into the misuse of funds and unlawful activities, with a report submitted to former police minister Bheki Cele and the joint standing committee on intelligence in 2023.
However, sources suggest no further action has been taken. Five senior police officers have corroborated the operative’s account, claiming a cover-up involving high-ranking officials. One officer, the hitman's commander, resigned after being recommended for investigation following findings by the Inspector General of Intelligence. This affidavit promises to be a pivotal piece of evidence in uncovering the truth behind Magaqa’s assassination and exposing the alleged deep state involvement.
