SAPS Officers Fumble As Inconsistencies Emerge in Madlanga Commission Testimonies
- Members of the South African Police Service were under fire after their testimonies were scrutinised under the microscope
- They testified before the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry and questioned about the reliability of their allegations
- South Africans were not impressed by how the police officers lied under oath about issues like Katso Molefe's arrest
With 10 years’ experience, Tebogo Mokwena, Briefly News’ Deputy Head of the Current Affairs desk, South Africa, provided insights into the criminal justice system, crime statistics, commissions of inquiry, and high-profile cases in South Africa at Daily Sun.
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TSHWANE, GAUTENG — members of the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the Directorate of Priority Crime Investigation, otherwise known as the Hawks, came under fire when their testimonies were scrutinised at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry.
Two officers, Brigadier Lesiba Mokoena from the Hawks and Captain Barry Kruger from the Hawks, testified on 29 October 2025 about the day murder-accused Katiso "KT" Molefe was arrested on 6 December 2024 for the murder of Armand Swart, a Vereeniging-based engineer. Molefe was also arrested for the murder of DJ Sumbody.
What happened on 6 December?
Questions surrounding the presence of the Hawks on Molefe's premises arose after the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT) and Crime Intelligence were deployed to arrest Molefe and conduct the raid at his house.
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Captain Maxwell Wanda verified that the presence of the Hawks at the house was unusual. Brigadier Mokoena, who is a section head in the Hawks' Tactical Operations Management Section (TOMS), said his divisional commander called him and informed him that the retired head of the Hawks, General Godfrey Lebeya, asked him if any team of Hawks was deployed in Gauteng, and Mokoena said no team was deployed.
Lebeya, however, said he was informed that the Hawks were at Molefe's house to effect an arrest. Mokoena then called Kruge, who is a TOMS member, to verify whether a team of Hawks members was at Molefe's house. Kruger informed Mokoena that he wouldn't be able to verify, as he was in Pretoria at that time. Mokoena, however, told the Commission that he does not remember Kruger telling him he was in Pretoria. The commission informed him that it was in his statement.
Statements contradict each other
Kruger, in his statement, which he submitted to the Commission, stated that Mokoena was added to a group where updates about the Molefe operation were shared. Mokoena insisted that he called Kruger multiple times to get updates. He later admitted that he was part of the WhatsApp group. Screenshots of the WhatsApp group were shown, and they revealed that Mokoena directed the team to withdraw. However, he once again backtracked and said that he was not a part of the WhatsApp group.
The evidence leader asked Mokoena why he constantly denied being a member of the WhatsApp group, even though his messages were shown. Mokoena said Kruger must have been copying and pasting his messages. Molefe was released on R400,000 bail.
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Katiso Molefe is allegedly friends with Senzo Mchunu
In a related article, Briefly News reported that Wanda allegedly linked Molefe with Mchunu. He testified at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry.
Wanda said that when they executed the Molefe arrest, one of Molefe's bodyguards alleged that Molefe was friends with Mchunu.
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Source: Briefly News
