By Johnathan Paoli
Witness B has accused acting Sedibeng District Commissioner, Brigadier Mbangwa Nkhwashu, of interference, undue influence, and possible collusion with suspects in the murder of Q-Tech engineer Armand Swart.
Testifying before the Madlanga Commission on Wednesday, Witness B described a disturbing pattern in which Brigadier Nkhwashu’s name repeatedly surfaced during key stages of the Swart investigation – from unusual requests for access to case dockets to a secretive prison visit to one of the accused.
According to Witness B, the first sign of interference came in July 2024, when a colleague approached her, claiming to be acting on Nkhwashu’s instructions.
The message, she said, was clear: Do not oppose bail in the Swart murder case.
“He said he had been sent by Acting Sedibeng District Commissioner Brigadier Nkhwashu, and that I should not oppose bail for Mr Tau,” she told the commission.
Michael Pule Tau, an alleged police hitman, was at that time one of the key suspects in Swart’s killing.
Witness B said she “refused outright” to comply, but Tau was still granted bail weeks later, citing deteriorating diabetes.
Her later investigation found that prison authorities could provide care for diabetic inmates and that, according to medical staff, some offenders exaggerated their illness to secure early release.
“That’s exactly what I believe happened in Tau’s case,” she said.
Witness B said that several weeks after Tau’s release, she was contacted by a Vereeniging police officer who said he was calling on behalf of Nkhwashu.
The officer requested access to multiple investigation dockets, including that of businessman Katiso Molefe, another suspect in the Swart murder.
Witness B told him the files were with the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and could not be released.
Shortly thereafter, she said, Nkhwashu phoned her directly.
“He confirmed that one of the dockets was the Katiso Molefe one. Then he said he wanted nothing to do with it because he was a suspect in the docket,” she testified.
Witness B said she had no idea what he meant and was deeply disturbed that a senior police commander had described himself as a suspect in a high-profile murder case under his jurisdiction.
The intrigue deepened when Witness B learned from a prison head that Nkhwashu had tried to visit Molefe in prison, arriving unannounced with food and clothes for the accused.
According to prison staff, Nkhwashu’s vehicle had concealed registration plates, and he was refused entry after attempting to deliver the items.
Her colleague, Witness A, had earlier testified that organised crime head Major-General Richard Shibiri had informed him that Nkhwashu wanted to be briefed on Molefe’s arrest, and that they later discovered he had “sneaked into the prison” using an unmarked vehicle.
Witness B said these incidents occurred amid growing intimidation of investigators and repeated internal interference.
She and Witness A were followed by unknown vehicles, threatened by senior officers, and warned that brown envelopes had been prepared for them.
She said she had become deeply concerned that the same police structures meant to protect investigators were undermining them.
The pattern of obstruction, she added, extended to a certain “Sergeant Sikhudu”, who allegedly acted as a go-between for Nkhwashu, and to the unresponsive forensic expert who withheld crucial ballistic evidence.
When Tau violated his bail conditions, Witness B said, she and Witness A felt completely exposed, convinced that their names were on a hit list.
After repeated pleas, Witness B and Witness A were eventually placed under 24-hour protection following a threat assessment that found they were at grave risk.
But even under guard, she said, felt like prison.
The hearing adjourned for the day and is expected to continue on Thursday.
INSIDE POLITICS