By Johnathan Paoli
Gauteng Hawks Lieutenant-Colonel Nkoana Sebola has accused several senior South African Police Service (SAPS) officers of interfering in the investigation into the 2021 Aeroton cocaine bust, alleging their actions undermined what he believed was a strong criminal case.
Sebola made the allegations while testifying before the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry on Monday. The commission is investigating the theft and handling of more than 700kg of cocaine seized in Johannesburg in July 2021.
“I was concerned about the conduct of certain senior officers and the role they played at the crime scene,” Sebola told the commission.
He alleged that senior officers, including Gauteng Crime Intelligence deputy head Major-General Feroz Khan, Gauteng Hawks head Major-General Ebrahim Kadwa and Gauteng Crime Intelligence head Major-General Josias Lekalakala, interfered in the investigation and crime scene management process.
Sebola said he was particularly troubled by Khan’s conduct and statements regarding the handling of the scene.
“I was concerned regarding a statement made by General Khan and questioned his understanding of proper crime scene management,” he said.
According to Sebola, the alleged interference weakened a case that he believed contained sufficient evidence to proceed to prosecution.
The commission heard that his concerns extended beyond the Aeroton matter.
Sebola described what he characterised as a pattern of interference by senior officials in investigations.
“I was deployed to the airport, where dollars were confiscated at OR Tambo. Those dollars were subsequently sent to the Reserve Bank, with instructions to return them to their owner. An item other than dollars was declared. Interference took place,” he said.
Asked whether the involvement of senior officers had assisted or hindered investigations, Sebola said it had been obstructive.
“I am concerned about the ambiguous conduct of certain generals. It is not clear whether their actions are aimed at apprehension or resolution. There is substantial interference,” he said.
Earlier, Sebola outlined evidence allegedly linking Gauteng traffic chief Samuel Mashaba to communications uncovered during the investigation.
The commission heard that investigators recovered screenshots from the cellphone of alleged informant Tumelo Nku, including communications conducted through the encrypted messaging application Threema.
According to Sebola, one of the cellphone numbers identified during the investigation had been saved under the name “General”.
“A number was saved as ‘General’ and we later found out that the number belonged to Samuel Mashaba, who was the General they referred to,” he said.
Mashaba is a central figure in the commission’s investigation.
He received a tip-off about a container allegedly carrying cocaine from Durban harbour to the Yellow Jacket Logistics warehouse in Aeroton.
Police later intercepted the truck and seized 741kg of cocaine with an estimated street value of R300 million.
Sebola testified that investigators also recovered screenshots showing discussions about containers and vessels, suggesting those involved had monitored several shipments before the Aeroton operation.
“The group which took possession of the Aeroton drug consignment had been monitoring several other containers before the July 2021 operation,” he said.
He added that investigators uncovered evidence suggesting some of those previous operations had been successful.
The commission also heard that cellphone tracking data placed Nku in Durban while the container was still at the port and later showed him travelling along the same route as the truck carrying the cocaine.
“On 8 July 2021, the truck was released from the Port of Durban to Gauteng, and on the same day Tumelo Nku travelled to Gauteng. This is a clear indication that Tumelo Nku was monitoring the truck,” Sebola testified.
However, under questioning from commissioners, Sebola conceded that he could not definitively link the recovered chat messages to the Aeroton drug bust.
The commission also scrutinised the technical basis of Sebola’s evidence, particularly the recovery and interpretation of encrypted communications.
Commission chairperson Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga requested a detailed affidavit from a DPCI analyst after it emerged that Sebola had relied on technical assistance in compiling portions of the report submitted to the commission.
Meanwhile, the commission announced that Khan remains scheduled to testify on 1 July after withdrawing two urgent court applications aimed at preventing the commission from accessing data on devices seized from him.
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