By Johnathan Paoli
The Madlanga Commission of Inquiry, probing allegations of interference by the Hawks in the arrest of businessman Katiso “KT” Molefe, heard on Wednesday a sharply contrasting account from Hawks Captain Barry Kruger, one that appears to undermine his superior, Brigadier Lesiba Mokoena’s earlier testimony.
Kruger’s detailed account of his actions on 6 December 2024 paints a more complicated picture of internal communication breakdowns, questionable instructions, and possible overreach during the controversial operation at Molefe’s Sandhurst mansion.
Kruger, a veteran police officer with 32 years of experience and a member of the Hawks’ Tactical Operations and Monitoring Section (TOMS), told the commission that Brigadier Mokoena had called him that afternoon and ordered him to verify whether a lawful police operation was underway at the Sandhurst address.
“I was in Pretoria North, preparing for an unrelated operation in the North West. I told Brigadier Mokoena that my vehicle’s tyres were worn and I was far away, but he insisted that I go immediately to Sandhurst,” Kruger testified.
This account directly contradicts Mokoena’s earlier evidence that he had not been in ongoing contact with Kruger during the incident and had not participated in any Hawks WhatsApp group communication about the Molefe arrest.
Kruger, however, testified that Mokoena not only initiated the instruction but also maintained constant communication throughout the afternoon, “calling often” and “asking for updates every 10 minutes”.
“I opened a WhatsApp group because I was far from the scene and wanted Hawks members closer to the area to respond. Brigadier Mokoena sent me information about a white Audi and a black BMW X5 at the premises and forwarded what looked like official police intelligence about the vehicles. I don’t know where he got it from,” Kruger said.
Kruger’s testimony highlights that by 16:44, messages within that WhatsApp group indicated the operation at Molefe’s property was legitimate, a fact confirmed before Kruger even arrived.
Despite this, he told the commission that he continued toward the scene because Mokoena kept pressing for verification.
Commissioner Sandile Khumalo questioned why, if the Hawks already knew the operation was legitimate, they did not withdraw immediately.
Kruger replied that he still needed to confirm for himself who he was speaking to and provide proper feedback to his commander.
Kruger’s insistence on continuing the verification process, even after reliable sources confirmed the legitimacy of the arrest, led to pointed questions from the commissioners.
“Why deploy a traffic helicopter once you had confirmation that this was a lawful police operation?” Khumalo asked.
Kruger maintained that the timing of the confirmations was simultaneous and that his priority was the safety of the police members.
He explained that he coordinated with Johannesburg traffic department official “Chief George” who dispatched a helicopter over Molefe’s residence.
Kruger claimed this decision was motivated by previous incidents of people impersonating police officers to commit crimes.
Upon his arrival at approximately 17:00, Kruger said he and a colleague were the only Hawks officers visibly present.
He wore civilian clothes but covered his face with a SAPS buff to identify himself as a member of the police.
Kruger described his encounter with Captain Wanda from the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT) as professional and calm, acknowledging that he immediately recognised Wanda as a genuine officer.
However, he admitted he did not ask to see Molefe’s arrest warrant or even know who the arrest warrant was for, a detail that undermines Mokoena’s earlier claim that the Hawks were on-site specifically to verify the legality of the arrest.
Further contradictions arose when Kruger confirmed he had downloaded and submitted the WhatsApp messages between himself and Mokoena to the commission, something Mokoena denied being part of.
Pressed by Commissioner Baloyi on why he took photographs of vehicles at the scene, Kruger said it was for record-keeping purposes and possibly at Mokoena’s request, to prove that police vehicles were present.
Yet no formal inquiry number was ever created for the Hawks’ activities at Molefe’s property, another procedural lapse Kruger admitted might have been his responsibility.
Throughout his testimony, Kruger maintained that he had merely been carrying out an instruction and denied any intent to obstruct the PKTT’s operation.
The WhatsApp records and Kruger’s testimony suggest that Mokoena was not only aware but actively directing efforts to verify or possibly interfere with the PKTT’s arrest of Molefe.
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