How Hawks, SAPS clashed at Katiso KT Molefe takedown operation

By Johnathan Paoli

The Madlanga Commission on Wednesday heard explosive testimony detailing alleged interference by the elite Hawks police unit during the arrest of murder-accused businessman Katiso “KT” Molefe.

Two witnesses – Captain Maxwell Wanda, a former member of the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT), and Brigadier Lesiba Mokoena of the Hawks – described how the 6 December 2024 operation to arrest Molefe at his Sandhurst home descended into chaos, with armed units clashing over control of the scene.

Wanda, a forensic and crime scene specialist with 32 years of experience under his belt, told the commission that what began as a coordinated arrest “spiralled into confusion” when uninvited Hawks officers arrived, nearly triggering a violent confrontation.

“The presence of the Hawks was concerning to me because they came in numbers and I didn’t expect them. Anything could have happened; it could have gone out of proportion,” Wanda told the