By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC) boss Andrea Johnson has sought to clarify the process leading to the arrest of crime intelligence head and rebutting allegations of undue interference or dramatic arrest.
Johnson was testifying at Parliament’s ad hoc committee hearing on Thursday, 6 November 2025.
Parliament’s ad hoc committee is investigating this scandal that includes accusations that a drug trafficking cartel has infiltrated South Africa’s law enforcement, politics and private security.
A key figure on one side of this is Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, who has alleged that some Crime Intelligence officers have been dubiously targeted so that investigations against particular criminals will implode.
Johnson told the committee on Thursday that everything concerning the arrests of crime intelligence boss Dumisani Khumalo and his colleagues had been above board and carried out respectfully.
She said: “Lieutenant General Khumalo was not placed in cuffs.”
This was because he was detained in a public area, and Johnson “didn’t seek to embarrass him”.
Her testimony does not align with Mkhwanazi’s allegations.
Johnson pointed out that while Mkhwanazi described Khumalo’s arrest as dramatic, it had been subdued and had only involved two Idac officers.
Accusations about ties between the Idac and Crime Intelligence have surfaced previously. Johnson addressed these on Thursday.
Mkhanwazi had alleged that an Idac official, Brian Padayachee, had “never handled a case docket in his life, yet Idac employed him as a senior investigator responsible for the arrest of [Lieutenant] General Khumalo”.
Padayachee, according to Mkhwanazi, was a former Crime Intelligence officer.
Johnson told the ad hoc committee hearing that Padayachee and Mkhwanazi knew each other because the former would contact the latter when Idac was in KwaZulu-Natal.
She disagreed with Mkhwanazi about Padayachee’s capabilities at Idac, saying he had “the requisite experience” for his work there.
Thursday’s testimony also got a lot closer to home for Johnson.
She and her husband, Junaid Johnson, had both previously worked for the corruption-busting unit, the Directorate of Special Operations, better known as the Scorpions.
The unit was controversially disbanded in 2009.
After that, Johnson’s husband joined the police’s Crime Intelligence unit, where he remains.
While answering questions from MPs on Thursday, she conceded she had “no doubt” her husband and Padayachee had “encountered one another”, given that Padayachee previously worked at Crime Intelligence.
During the proceedings, Johnson made it clear that she and her husband never exchanged information about their work.
“Pillow talk gets people killed,” she said.
Johnson said if it emerged that her husband had done anything wrong, she would not compromise her integrity or oath of office.
The committee will reconvene on Thursday, with Chief of Staff Cedrick Nkabinde in the stand to respond to any allegations levelled against him.
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Video Courtesy of Parliament.