Marcus Moloko
Warrant officer Sabelo Nkosi’s testimony at the Madlanga Commission on Monday was meant to be a serious account of police failures and political interference.
Instead, it turned into a masterclass in accidental comedy as Nkosi, known for his blunt delivery and streetwise metaphors, battled to filter his words in front of the commissioners.
From the moment he took the stand, Nkosi made it clear he wasn’t going to sugarcoat anything. He did not anticipate how hard it would be to translate his everyday language into courtroom-appropriate speech.
The result?A string of funny moments that had even commissioner chairman, Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga chuckling, before gently reminding Nkosi to keep it professional.
“He didn’t have balls.”
Nkosi’s most viral moment came when he described a senior officer’s reluctance to confront suspects linked to organised crime.
“He didn’t have balls,” Nkiso declared without flinching. The commission erupted. Madlanga, trying to maintain decorum, leaned forward and said the commission understood the sub meaning, which meant he lacked adequate courage.
Nkosi was referring to events during a takedown operation by the police at Katiso ‘KT’ Molefe’s home in Sandhurst.
Second on the funny list was:
“Here are the bullets now, and they are moering you.”
Detailing how preparation was key for every operation, Nkosi detailed how he was summoned to Molefe’s house in December and instructed to hurry.
He found it strange how local officials close to the area were not called and how they were not even provided with a proper briefing.
It was his delivery in highlighting how inadequate preparation could prove fatal that caught the commissioners off guard.
“We don’t approach the scene blindly,” Nkosi told the commission. You don’t simply race to the scene without a plan, Nkosi told the commission, because “that’s how you get moered by bullets”.
“You don’t just drive there and then now just say I have arrived,” he warned, detailing how important preparation was.
He said deliberations and a plan would often be part of discussions before every operation.
Third on the list of funny gems was:
Run around like fools
Detailing his frustration, Nkosi criticized his superiors’ lack of coordination. During his testimony, he described the chaotic and poorly coordinated operation to arrest individuals suspected to have been bogus officers at Molefe’s Sandhurst mansion.
His frustration came from being redirected from a planned tactical assignment in the North West Province and sent to Molefe’s home with little briefing or clarity.
He told the commission how he told Captain Kruger that he had made them run around “like fools”.
Nkosi’s metaphors, while unconventional, painted vivid pictures of dysfunction, fear, and frustration within the police.
The commission continues.
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