By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Witness B, a police investigator, continued with her testimony before the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry, which is investigating allegations that criminals have infiltrated South Africa’s law enforcement, politics and private businesses.
Testifying partially behind closed doors due to security threats, Witness B is part of the elite investigative team now living in a safe house after receiving credible death threats.
Her appearance follows damning revelations by Witness A earlier this week, who alleged that top law enforcement units actively disrupted the planned arrest of alleged underworld boss Katiso “KT” Molefe at his luxury Sandhurst estate in December 2024.
On Thursday, Witness B painted a picture of deep-rooted interference within law enforcement ranks, describing incidents that ranged from unauthorised police officers showing up at crime scenes, to a plot to assassinate investigators working on the case.
“At some point during the investigation, myself and Witness A had to be moved to a safe house due to concerns for our safety,” she told the Commission.
“It was there that we were joined by members of the political killings task team, and from that moment, the investigation began to move faster. Their involvement was truly a game-changer.”
One of the most startling revelations from Witness B was about Johannes Mokgatle, a Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) officer who falsely reported himself sick, only to later appear at the home of murder accused Katiso “KT” Molefe during his arrest.
“At the time, I was present, and I learned that the team encountered an individual who later identified himself as a JMPD officer, “Witness B said.
“Subsequent investigations confirmed he was off duty, having reported sick earlier, yet he engaged officers as if on active duty.”
Mokgatle’s unauthorised presence at the crime scene was seen as a deliberate act of obstruction.
Investigators have since confirmed that he has been suspended from all active duties within the JMPD’s K9 unit pending an internal inquiry.
The Commission also heard that the arrest operation had been carefully coordinated to arrest both Molefe and his nephew, Lucky Molefe, on the same day, but Lucky reportedly received a tip-off and never showed up at work, evading arrest.
In one of the most chilling moments of the day, Witness B recounted how she was contacted by an inmate who claimed to have shared a cell with former police officer Michael Pule Tau, one of Molefe’s co-accused in Armand Swart’s murder.
The inmate told her there was a plot to assassinate the investigating officers, naming both her and Witness A as targets.
The hit, he said, was valued at R350 000, with R50 000 already paid toward preparations.
“He said there was a plan to eliminate the investigators handling this case, “Witness B testified. “He even provided us with phone numbers and names, and upon investigation, those details matched.”
The inmate also alleged that Molefe’s daughter had arranged for Witness B’s contact number to be shared with Tau, facilitating the threat.
Amid all the obstruction and fear, Witness B described how the Political Killings Task Team injected fresh energy, discipline, and resources into the investigation.
The task team, a specialised police unit established in 2018 to investigate politically motivated murders, was seconded to assist in high-risk cases like Swart’s, where corruption and organised crime often overlap with political networks.