By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The Madlanga Commission of Inquiry probing allegations of the embattled Police Minister Senzo Mchunu’s presidential ambitions and the Hawks’ interference in police investigations were under the spotlight in its hearings in Pretoria.
The commission has heard several testimonies related to Katiso “KT” Molefe’s arrest at his Sandhurst mansion on 6 December 2024.
Molefe, alleged to have links to the so-called Big Five criminal cartel, was arrested by the Gauteng Organised Crime Unit and KwaZulu-Natal-based Political Killings Task Team (PKKT).
Previous testimony by Witness A alleged that the Hawks attempted to obstruct the arrest using a helicopter deployment — a claim the traffic police vehemently denied.
Chief Provincial Inspector George Raftopoulos told the commission that he was the official who dispatched the helicopter that has since sparked allegations of interference.
“I was called by Captain Barry Kruger from TOMS (Tactical Operations Management Section) as we know it, requesting assistance of ground members as they received information of bogus cops at a certain house in Sandton,” said Raftopoulos.
He said he initially declined to send ground personnel because none were available, but offered aerial support instead.
“I offered it, because they indicated it was bogus cops. We previously had attempts of bogus cops who were hijacking vehicles that we also assisted. That’s why I said I would go out and have a look,” he said.
He told the commission that in two previous cases, suspects had been caught impersonating traffic officers in full uniform and hijacking trucks. Such incidents, he said, were common and formed part of an ongoing collaboration between his unit and the TOMS.
“I have been working with TOMS for the past nine years and have a good relationship,” said Raftopoulos, adding that the unit often contacted him for operational assistance.
The conflicting accounts have deepened confusion around who authorised the helicopter’s deployment. Further questions about the claim of a bogus police operation by senior Hawks officials remain unanswered.
Hawks Warrant Officer Sabelo Nkosi told the commission that on the day of Molefe’s arrest, he had been at his home in Springs preparing for an operation in the North West province when he received a call from TOMS section head Brigadier Lesiba Mokoena around 4pm.
A briefing for that operation had been scheduled for 7pm.
According to the witness, Mokoena instructed him to abandon preparations for the North West mission and “rush” to Molefe’s mansion to verify reports of “bogus” Hawks officers at the scene.
Nkosi testified that he found Mokoena’s request unusual, as “a reasonable person” would have seen the North West operation as the greater priority.
He described that operation as “life-threatening”, explaining that diverting members to Molefe’s house weakened the team’s strength.
“So that’s why it didn’t make sense to me, “he said.
Nkosi added that Mokoena was well aware of the North West operation and could have deployed local police to handle the Sandhurst matter.
A message soon followed from Raftopoulos, confirming that the operation at Molefe’s mansion was legitimate.
Nkosi told the commission that — later a man identified as Mthethwa, a relative of Molefe — was the one who called senior Hawks officials claiming to report “fake police” at the Sandhurst address.
Mthethwa is now at the centre of the controversy, accused of contacting Hawks leadership to protect Molefe from arrest. He has been accused of calling Mokoena and passing the phone to the KZN task team.
Divisional Commissioner for National Priority Offences Operations at the Hawks, Lieutenant General Dumisani Mbotho, said miscommunication led to the Hawks’ involvement.
Mbotho said he was attending a South African Police Service (SAPS) excellence awards ceremony in Pretoria when the Hawks were alerted to reports of “bogus police officers” conducting a raid at Molefe’s residence.
“Of importance to me was whether they are genuine police, and as soon as they sent the message that confirms that these are genuine police, my mission [was] finished,” said Mbotho.
He told the commission that he received a call from then Hawks head Godfrey Lebeya, to inform him that people claiming to be Hawks officers had arrived at Molefe’s home, falsely asserting they were acting under Lebeya’s authority.
Senior Hawks officials told the commission last week that they received an urgent message from Lebeya, who requested an investigation into claims of police impersonation at Molefe’s residence.
After confirming that no Hawks operation was planned in the area, Mbotho said he instructed Mokoena to send a Johannesburg-based team to verify the legitimacy of the operation.
“My instructions to him [were] in relation to whether the human beings that were at the door are real police or not real police because someone has gone there and said they were Hawks and Hawks said they had no operation,” he said.
Mokoena told the commission he sent two members from his tactical unit and denied sending a large contingent and a helicopter, which arrived during Molefe’s arrest. Mbotho also said the operation required one police vehicle to verify.
Mbotho said Mokoena chose Captain Barry Kruger to attend the scene, a decision he supported because Kruger was the closest to the area.
“To verify if the person is a police officer or not, all you need is for him to produce his appointment certificate. Now to verify if his operation is legitimate or not, you need to check if there is a valid warrant of arrest,” he said.
He added that WhatsApp messages show he received Molefe’s address directly from Lebeya, who had initially raised the alarm.
The commission wants Mokoena, to appear again and clarify some of the contradictions in his initial testimony.
However, Mokoena told the commission he had been given legal advice not to appear again, at least at this stage.
In his testimony last Wednesday, Mokoena denied that he participated in a WhatsApp group that was created on 6 December last year – the same day, suspected criminal underworld gang boss, Molefe was arrested.
The group was established to verify whether there were legitimate police officers at Molefe’s home, following reports that there were people impersonating law enforcement officers.
Chairperson, Mbuyiseli Madlanga, said that while Mokoena was well within his rights to seek legal advice, the commission would definitely need him to come back and testify again.
Meanwhile the Auditor-General (AG) of South Africa revealed that police tenders are frequently awarded to bidders who do not meet the prescribed criteria.
The AG budgetary review and recommendations report was discussed during a police committee meeting in Parliament on Monday, 3 November 2025.
According to the Auditor-General’s report, “investigated irregular expenditure not submitted to [the] relevant authority for further action” amounted to R2,497,765, 500 – in other words, just under R2.5-billion.
It was not clear which period the R2.5-billion figure was related to.
In the 2024/25 financial year, irregular expenditure relating to the police amounted to R649,722,000.
The report also said: “[The] SAPS has disclosed R56-million as irregular expenditure under assessment…
“The assessment process is currently underway to determine the nature and extent of the incidents that led to these transgressions.”
If all three irregular expenditure figures (the historic figure, plus the 2024/25 amount and the millions under assessment) attached to the police service are added, this totals about R3.2-billion.
These figures, along with several other highly concerning problems, now add to the controversies already rocking the police service.
A few months ago, in July, an unprecedented scandal started developing when KwaZulu-Natal’s Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi alleged that a drug trafficking cartel infiltrated South Africa’s law enforcement, politics and private security.
He had also alleged that various individuals, including police minister at the time Mchunu, had ties to organised crime accused Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala, who was awarded a R360-million SAPS health services contract in 2024.
This contract was subsequently cancelled.
The Madlanga Commission of Inquiry and a parallel parliamentary ad hoc committee are investigating Mkhwanazi’s accusations.