Madlanga Commission hears how cops repeatedly meddled in Swart murder case

By Johnathan Paoli

The Madlanga commission on Tuesday continued hearing how the murder investigation into Q-Tech engineer Armand Swart was repeatedly obstructed by other law enforcement units, including officers from the Hawks, Crime Intelligence, and even Metro Police, according to gripping testimony by Witness A.

Witness A, an organised crime investigator, detailed how his team’s work was undermined and interfered with from multiple sides as they pursued suspects linked to a multimillion-rand Transnet tender fraud that allegedly led to Swart’s assassination in April 2024.

“It is unheard of that the officials from different divisions and units would arrive at a private residence where a takedown of an operation is underway and attempt to interfere in that operation,” he said.

Before delving into the major incidents of interference, Witness A clarified that his superior, Major-General Richard Shibiri, had warned him and his colleague, Witness B, that a Hawks officer known as