Major General Feroz Khan, one of South Africa’s most senior intelligence officers, is in hospital after gunmen riddled his vehicle with bullets in Johannesburg, days before he was due to testify at a landmark corruption inquiry into the police.

Khan, the suspended deputy head of crime intelligence, was travelling home when attackers opened fire, forcing his car off the road. He was rushed to hospital and underwent emergency surgery, according to officials briefed on the incident. His exact condition has not been disclosed, but police sources say he remains under close guard.

The shooting comes as the Madlanga Commission, a judicial inquiry into alleged criminal capture of parts of the state, prepares to hear explosive testimony about the inner workings of South Africa’s security apparatus. The commission was set up after Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi alleged that organised crime had penetrated law enforcement and that senior officers were complicit in shielding criminal networks.

Khan’s name surfaced repeatedly in earlier hearings, prompting the commission to summon him. He was expected to be questioned about a botched 2021 drug operation in Johannesburg and about claims, reported in local media, that he maintained improper relationships with opposition leader Julius Malema and political figure Brown Mogotsi. Both the political links and the failed operation have raised questions about whether crime intelligence resources were being misused for factional or criminal purposes.

Police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe confirmed that a task team of seasoned detectives and forensic specialists has been assigned to the case. She cautioned against immediately linking the attack to Khan’s impending testimony, saying investigators were pursuing “all possible motives,” including attempted assassination, intimidation, or a robbery staged to look like a hit.

The shooting has intensified fears for witnesses connected to the Madlanga Commission. In a separate case, a witness who had appeared before the inquiry was gunned down in front of relatives weeks after giving evidence, prompting calls for stronger protection measures for those cooperating with investigators.

Khan is already facing criminal charges unrelated to the commission. He was arrested in connection with the alleged unlawful trade and possession of gold, after authorities at OR Tambo International Airport intercepted a businessman carrying unrefined gold and claiming to be working undercover for senior police officials.

Khan has not publicly commented on the allegations against him or on the attempt on his life.