By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The Members of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI), also known as the Hawks have denied interfering with the SAPS takedown operation at Katiso “KT” Molefe’s Sandhurst home.
Captain Dail Christaan Nortjie said his team of five members were dispatched to Molefe’s home by their commander to verify information that people were impersonating the Hawks during the operation.
His testimony focused on the arrest of Molefe.
Molefe was arrested during a raid by members of the Political Killings Task Team and Special Task Force in connection with the murder of Vereeniging engineer Armand Swart.
The captain is one of three Hawks members scheduled to testify before the commission on Tuesday.
Warrant Officer Paul Radebe, another Hawks witness, corroborated Nortjie’s account, stating they did not interfere with the police operation.
Testifying virtually with his identity concealed, Radebe mentioned noticing a black Mercedes Benz at the entrance of Molefe’s home, with three males standing outside.
As he got out of the vehicle, he saw his colleague Sergeant Sipho Mthethwa.
Radebe testified that when he asked what was going on, Mthethwa pointed out a man wearing a cap, spectacles, and a backpack, saying: “You see that idiot, he is busy taking videos of us and pictures and he is talking to someone on the phone, telling that person that we said we are from the Hawks office.”
Radebe identified the man taking videos as Malcom X, who once came to his office in 2022, saying he wanted to share information with the Hawks because he did not trust police in Sandton. He exchanged contacts with Malcom X but has not heard from him since.
Radebe explained that Hawks protocol requires members to submit an operational plan to their commander before conducting an operation, detailing the plan, location, and team members.
Gauteng Hawks head Major-General Ebrahim Kadwa contradicted the recent testimonies that they interfered in the police’s operation.
Kadwa said: “I have heard evidence presented before the commission that members of the Hawks were interfering with the police operation of Katiso Molefe on December 6, 2024. I was not aware of these allegations of interference until I heard of evidence presented by witnesses before this commission.”
He said he was not aware of his team’s actions at the scene beyond the feedback by a WhatsApp message, which he did not deem to be interfering.
Meanwhile commission’s spokesperson Jeremy Michaels on Tuesday, said Justice Mbuyiseni Madlanga is being impersonated using electronic communication.
He said, the commission is warning the public that perpetrators who are found guilty of trying to interfere with the commission’s work, could be liable to a fine or jail time of up to six months.
“Some communications are calculated to give the impression that the impersonator is the chairperson of the commission. These communications have the potential to tarnish the chairperson’s standing both in his personal capacity and in his capacity as chairperson of the commission,” he said.
He added that the impersonations have been directed to civilians, politicians, lawyers and members of the South Africa Police Service.
“The commission regards these impersonations as interference in its work and has reported the impersonation of Justice Madlanga to the relevant law enforcement agencies,” said Michaels.