By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
South African Police Service (SAPS) commander of the Crime Information Management and Analysis Centre (CIMAC) at the SAPS Zonkizizwe police station, Marumo Magane, testified before the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry on Tuesday, 12 May 2026.
The Commission has been examining the circumstances surrounding the seizure of a large cocaine consignment worth R300 million in July 2021.
Magane’s presence at the scene took a centre stage as he is usually office-bound with a duty to analyse and collate crime statistics.
He told the Commission that SAPS Crime Intelligence Officer, Major-General Feroz Khan, ordered him K9 unit Warrant Officer Steve Phakula and Gauteng Traffic chief Samuel Mashaba, who was working with his informant Tumelo Nku, to immediately halt the drug-bust operation.
The commission’s chairperson Mbuyiseli Madlanga questioned his involvement, highlighting that his primary responsibilities are administrative rather than operational.
“You are a statistics person. It’s simply not your area of function. It’s quite plain that you were at sea. You were lost as to what needed to be done,” Madlanga said.
“I agree,” Magane replied.
The warrant officer, however, emphasised that his duties are not strictly limited to desk work and can include participation in search-and-seizure operations.
According to his evidence, Gauteng Traffic Police (GTP) Deputy Chief Director Samuel Mashaba contacted him at around 6:25 am regarding a truck believed to be carrying narcotics.
He proceeded to the premises of logistics company Yellow Jersey in Roodekop, where he met Mashaba and Nku.
Magane testified that each arrived in separate vehicles, with him himself driving a black Nissan NP300 bakkie.
Access to the container was initially denied due to the absence of a search warrant, which Magane described as an “oversight”.
The truck was subsequently escorted to Scania’s premises in Aeroton, where it was opened in the presence of staff.
He told the commission that he only informed the SAPS Local Criminal Record Centre (LCRC) about the drug-bust only after he, Mashaba and Sacnia employees had already offloaded the exhibits from the container.
This followed questioning from Commissioner Sandile Khumalo, who asked Magane whether he was aware that LCRC officials should have been present before any handling or potential tampering with exhibits.
The commission previously heard that standard procedure requires LCRC officials to document and photograph crime scenes during SAPS operations.
Magane testified that, at the time, the only law enforcement officials initially present at the scene were himself and Mashaba, along with Nku, who was driving a grey BMW 7 Series without registration plates.
Magane described Khan’s arrival at the scene as “hell breaking loose”, saying the senior officer became involved in a heated altercation with Mashaba, during which the latter was disarmed of his service pistol.
Magane said he, Mashaba, Nku, and Phakula spent nearly two weeks in custody on charges of drug dealing before being granted bail on 21 July 2021. He was also cleared of any wrongdoing.
Khan also later faced disciplinary action and was acquitted over his involvement as the head of Counter and Security Intelligence in a case that should have been handled by the Hawks.
KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi has accused Khan of being central to alleged corruption within crime intelligence, including claims involving a R600 million crime intelligence slush fund.