By Johnathan Paoli
The Madlanga Commission will resume public hearings on Monday, with a renewed focus on the dramatic and controversial arrest of businessman, murder-accused, and alleged “Big 5” syndicate member, Katiso ‘KT’ Molefe.
According to commission spokesperson Jeremy Michaels, the hearings will start at 9.30am at the Brigitte Mabandla Justice College.
Unnamed witnesses involved in the 6 December 2024 operation are expected to testify as part of the commission’s ongoing probe into allegations of criminal infiltration, political interference, and internal sabotage within South Africa’s law enforcement agencies.
Molefe’s arrest was initially celebrated as a breakthrough moment in the investigation into the assassination of Q Tech engineer Armand Swart, one of several killings linked to a network of organised crime figures with alleged police connections.
However, the operation quickly descended into confusion when rival police units appeared at the same scene.
Testimony before the commission has revealed that uninvited members of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) stormed the operation, leading to a tense standoff.
Brigadier Lesiba Mokoena, who oversaw the operation, told the commission that the Hawks’ arrival was a misunderstanding, a claim disputed by Captain Barry Kruger, who alleged that Mokoena had in fact directed the Hawks to the scene.
Kruger presented WhatsApp logs and radio transmissions suggesting that Mokoena maintained contact with the Hawks even after confirming the arrest team was legitimate.
Evidence leader Advocate Michael Chaskalson (SC) described the incident as “a microcosm of institutional sabotage and distrust” within SAPS.
Last week’s hearings continued to paint a grim picture of law enforcement.
Testimony from ballistics experts detailed falsified forensic reports, manipulated evidence logs, and delayed uploads to the Integrated Ballistics Identification System (IBIS).
The commission heard that firearms recovered in the Swart murder had been linked to at least 27 other crimes, including the assassinations of DJs Sumbody and Vintos.
Brigadier Mishack Mkhabela, head of SAPS Ballistics, testified that his unit was sitting on over 41 000 pending cases nationwide, the result of crippling staff shortages.
Commission chair, Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga, called the testimony deeply disturbing and said it showed the urgent need for institutional reform.
Meanwhile, suspended Deputy Police Commissioner Shadrack Sibiya, who has been named extensively in testimony, has formally requested to cross-examine both National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola and KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi.
Sibiya claims their testimonies have unjustly damaged his reputation, and that he has been made a scapegoat for political interference and systemic corruption.
The commission heard last week that businessman and attempted murder accused Vusimusi ‘Cat’ Matlala allegedly told police investigators during “informal” discussions that he had “paid” cash to Sibiya.
That discussion was recorded by one of the investigators, an excerpt of which was played for the commission by the investigator, named only Witness C for security reasons.
Witness C told the commissioners that Matlala referred to Sibiya as a “criminal”, to whom he was paying up to R1 million a month. That money appears to have been payback because Sibiya allegedly helped Matlala to secure a since-cancelled R360 million tender for police health services.
Matlala, currently behind bars after being refused bail for allegedly ordering a failed hit on his ex-girlfriend, Tebogo Thobejane, is accused of using his influence to manipulate police investigations.
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