Durban — A team of KwaZulu Natal (KZN) detectives in South Africa has been to Mozambique and is now in Zimbabwe trying to find alleged killer Musa “Muzi” Khumalo, who duped KZN police into believing he was a brigadier from the Hawks, an investigative unit.
Khumalo, believed to have fled South Africa after his cover was blown, has emerged as a charismatic conman, wanted for a murder in Chatsworth, who pulled rank on “subordinates” when questioned. While working as a policeman, Khumalo helped police solve several cases, although they now believe he used them to take out rival criminals. Police this week swooped on four of Khumalo’s homes in Montclair, Malvern, Richards Bay and eManzimtoti.
Police spokesman Colonel Vincent Mdunge said a team of more than 20 officers – comprising the KZN tracking team, the Crime Intelligence Unit, and Hawks from KZN and Gauteng – had been working around the clock following leads.
“The team was in Maputo earlier this week. They are now in Zimbabwe,” Mdunge said. “Information has it that Khumalo has returned to his homeland.” Three warrants of arrest have been issued for Khumalo, for murder, escaping from police custody and impersonating a police officer.
Mdunge said Johannesburg police were also looking for Khumalo for impersonating a national Hawks investigator. He said investigations this week revealed that Khumalo had allegedly committed a murder in Bayview, Chatsworth, in 2007. Initially, police reported that the murder had been committed in Johannesburg and that he had escaped from a prison there.
“In 2010 a warrant of arrest was issued at the Chatsworth Magistrates’ Court,” Mdunge said. “He was nabbed by Durban police and taken into custody. However, he escaped from the holding cells and has been on the run for two years. During this time he worked as an impostor cop.”
Mdunge said Khumalo’s house in Montclair had been occupied by tenants, while the other three, which were “upmarket”, had been unoccupied. Police are still trying to establish Khumalo’s real identity, and what other assets he had, including vehicles and other property.
Mdunge said Khumalo had not been on the police payroll, nor had he been issued with an appointment certificate.
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He said investigations also showed that Khumalo had allegedly faked his death in 2008.
“He killed his identity as a Zimbabwean national and was resurrected as Musa Khumalo. He managed to obtain a false South African passport and identity document with this alias.”
