The Madlanga Commission of Inquiry resumes in Pretoria on Tuesday after a dramatic start to the week, which saw conflicting testimonies from senior police officers about the controversial arrest of alleged crime boss Katiso “KT” Molefe.
Monday’s session ended with the commission indicating that it wants Brigadier Lesiba Mokoena, the head of the Hawks’ Tactical Operations Management Section, to return to the witness stand.
Chairperson Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga said Mokoena’s evidence had contradicted that of other witnesses, particularly around his role in a WhatsApp group created on the day of Molefe’s arrest in December 2024.
The commission is investigating corruption, political interference, and criminal infiltration in the country’s law enforcement structures. Molefe, a Sandton businessman facing multiple murder charges — is at the centre of the inquiry, which has exposed alleged coordination between rogue police officers and organised crime networks.
During Monday’s proceedings, the commission heard from Hawks Captain Barry Kruger and Warrant Officer Sabelo Nkosi, who both challenged parts of Brigadier Mokoena’s earlier testimony.
Mokoena had claimed that he did not actively participate in the WhatsApp group chat, even though messages appeared to come from his account. He later suggested that messages attributed to him might have been copied and pasted by Kruger.
Kruger told the commission that Mokoena’s version was “incorrect.” When asked about this by evidence leader advocate Lee Segeels-Ncube, Mokoena reportedly said he would “have to apologise” if Kruger’s version proved to be true.
Nkosi, another member of Mokoena’s team, described the operation surrounding Molefe’s arrest as “strange.” He said Mokoena had called him repeatedly and even instructed him to use sirens to reach Molefe’s Sandhurst address faster.
“A reasonable person would have realised that this was not the priority. There was another life-threatening operation planned for the same night,” Nkosi said.
The commission also heard from Gauteng traffic police chief George Raftopoulous, who confirmed that he dispatched a helicopter to Molefe’s home after hearing reports that “bogus cops” might be present. Raftopoulous said he was “disturbed” by suggestions that his officers were trying to interfere in a legitimate police operation.
“I have no idea who Mr Molefe is or where he lives. I was merely assisting teams I usually worked with,” he told the inquiry.
Adding to the intrigue, Crime Intelligence boss Lieutenant-General Dumisani Khumalo is also expected to continue his testimony this week. Khumalo, who previously fell ill mid-session in October, is expected to be questioned further about the Political Killings Task Team and allegations that his office failed to act on intelligence about Molefe’s criminal network.
The hearings have increasingly pointed to divisions within law enforcement, as senior officers accuse one another of obstruction and misconduct. Justice Madlanga has described the testimonies as “deeply troubling” and said the commission’s mandate is to “restore the integrity and accountability of the country’s policing institutions.”
Tuesday’s sitting is expected to continue focusing on the Hawks’ alleged interference in Molefe’s arrest and the chain of command that authorised the involvement of multiple police units and a traffic police helicopter.
Proceedings will begin at 09:30 (SAST) and can be followed via the live stream embedded below.
