'Captain KGB' and his dramatic movie-script life

Affidavits filed by police watchdog‚ the Independent Police Investigative Directorate‚ in the Specialised Commercial Crimes Court in Pretoria have unmasked the life of police crime intelligence operative Captain Morris “KGB” Tshabalala – and life which reads like a script from a rogue spy blockbuster.

The 45-year-old has been nabbed and charged on two charges of theft‚ two of fraud and one of corruption. This for allegedly using fraudulent invoices to claim money to install blinds in police safe houses in two plush Pretoria suburbs‚ Waterkloof Heights and Brooklyn.

According to an affidavit filed by IPID’s head of investigation‚ Mathews Sesoko‚ Tshabalala’s dramatic life story and career as a police crime intelligence agent‚ is makes for a tantalising saga.

He joined the police in July 2001 as an intelligence gatherer attached to the SAPS Crime Intelligence (CI) – this while he was a fugitive from incarceration for a 15-year sentence for armed robbery committed in Mamelodi 1994.

In 2005‚ Tshabalala‚ a married father of three‚ was promoted to a rank of Captain. In 2013 he was arrested for another robbery in Sasolburg and when his fingerprints were screened‚ police discovered that he was supposed to be serving time in jail.

After this arrest‚ he was fired from the police in June 2013 but he remained active in the SAPS system as an employee‚ apparently drawing a salary while serving time in prison.

After serving only about two and half years of his 10-year sentence‚ Tshabalala was released on parole in November 2015.

Information gathered by IPID shows that he applied for re-enlistment to the police on September 16‚ 2016‚ but resigned at the end of that month so he could be put on an agent program. For him to be on the program‚ he needed to be police officer.

According to an affidavit filed by IPID’s head of investigation, Mathews Sesoko, Tshabalala’s dramatic life story and career as a police crime intelligence agent, is makes for a tantalising saga.

Tshabalala has been an agent since October 2016‚ handled by a person who is based at the IT section of the SAPS crime intelligence. He earns a salary of between R20,000 and R30,000 a month and his perks include a state vehicle‚ fuel allowance of between R5,000 and R8,000 and R1,500 cell phone allowance.

Tshabalala’s handler has not listed any intelligence operation‚ except one which Tshabalala suggested but yielded no results. The handler has confirmed to IPID investigators that he was not trained to handle agents and only carried instructions from his “superior” to pay Tshabalala on a monthly basis.

Tshabalala is said to enjoy and brags about his political connections and protection from the police top brass.

He is currently applying for bail. The case continues.