By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Former head of Hawks Lieutenant-General Godfrey Lebeya has dismissed claims that he instructed Hawks officials to disrupt the operation at the underworld kingpin, Katiso “KT” Molefe Sandton residence on 6 December 2025.
Lebeya was testifying at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry at Bridgette Mabandla Justice College in Tshwane.
He has told the Commission he was denied state-funded legal assistance ahead of his appearance.
His legal team has argued that the decision was made by Lieutenant-General Tebello Mosikili, who had previously worked under Lebeya, and should therefore have recused herself.
But the Commission has questioned whether it has any standing to intervene in the decision, instead suggesting Lebeya review the decision through the appropriate channels.
Lebeya was questioned about a police operation at Molefe’s house in 2024. He has denied knowing Molefe.
Molefe was arrested at his residence on December 6, 2025, by the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT).
His arrest was linked to investigations into several murders, including those of musician Ouoa “Dj Sumbody” Sefoka and engineer Armand Swart.
Testifying before the commission, a senior Hawks officer, Dumisani Mbotho, said it was Lebeya who gave him Molefe’s Sandton home address on 6 December 2024.
Lebeya testified that he was called from the scene by a Johannesburg businessman, Malcolm X.
Lebeya said he instructed officials to verify the identities of the team conducting the raid, and was told they were legitimate police officers.
He said the involvement of several law enforcement agencies pointed to serious shortcomings in the planning and execution of the operation.
Lebeya placed responsibility for communication breakdown on Crime Intelligence head Lieutenant-General Dumisani Khumalo, saying he had not been informed about the planned operation.
He described December 6 as an exceptionally busy day. He was due to preside over the Hawks’ annual excellence awards in Pretoria, while handling a stream of official business.
He told the commission he had received 49 telephone calls between 6.59am and 10.29pm that day, alongside WhatsApp messages, SMSes and emails.
Lebeya also detailed his strained relationship with private investigator, Paul O’Sullivan, and raised concerns about the controversial Aeroton drug bust.
The drug bust involved the seizure of over 700 kilograms of cocaine worth roughly R300 million in an industrial hub south of Johannesburg.
He said he could not recall suspended Gauteng Hawks head Major-General, Ebrahim Kadwa, informing him about the operation.
He said provincial Hawks heads were expected to notify him when major operations required national DPCI involvement, but there was no record of such a call from Kadwa.
He said O’Sullivan also contacted him in 2024 seeking updates on President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Phala Phala litigation.
He said their relationship deteriorated after he declined to provide information about the matter.
According to Lebeya, O’Sullivan later accused him of unlawfully occupying the position of Hawks boss and instituted legal proceedings against him, which he eventually withdrew.
Lebeya began working in the SAPS at the Sophiatown Police Station on 12 May 1984.
He went on to establish the Johannesburg North Fraud Section which was based at Sandton police station. In January 2000, he was appointed the Provincial Head of Specialised Investigations in Gauteng Province and by November 2000, he was appointed the Provincial Head of Detective Service in Gauteng on the rank of Assistant Commissioner, the current Major General rank.
In his academic pursuit, Lebeya completed a Bachelor of Laws (LLB) degree and by 2006 was admitted as an Advocate of the High Court of South Africa. Lebeya also pursued a Doctorate degree which was conferred in the field of Law, Doctor of Laws (LLD) in 2012 on the topic of “Understanding Organised Crime”. One of his crowning moments came in June 2018, when he was appointed as the National Head of the DPCI.