Police Officials Implicated in Alleged Cover-Up Linked to Businessman Accused of Multiple Murders
Alarming allegations of corruption and police interference have surfaced at the Madlanga Commission, where explosive testimony suggested that powerful officers within South Africa’s law enforcement system may have acted to protect businessman Katiso Molefe, who stands accused of several high-profile murders.
KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi had earlier claimed that organised crime had infiltrated the country’s justice system — a claim now seemingly reinforced by chilling evidence.
Two police investigators, known only as Witness A and Witness B, testified this week that their investigation into the April 2024 murder of engineer Armand Swart was repeatedly obstructed by senior officials. They alleged that ballistic evidence linking the weapons used in the killing to other high-profile murders mysteriously disappeared from police records.
According to their testimony, it took months before the guns — an AK-47 and three pistols — were officially linked to the murders of musicians Oupa “DJ Sumbody” Sefoka, his two bodyguards, and Hector “DJ Vintos” Buthelezi, as well as businessman Don Tindleni. Molefe has since been charged in connection with those killings.
Witness A also revealed that when Molefe was arrested in December 2024, Hawks officers allegedly arrived at his lavish Sandhurst home demanding access and information about his case — claiming to act under orders from national Hawks head Lieutenant General Godfrey Lebeya. It remains unclear whether Lebeya has been called to respond to the claims.
The investigators said that after Swart’s murder — which they described as a mistaken-identity hit — they were followed, threatened, and even nearly run off the road after court hearings involving the accused killers.
Swart’s death allegedly stemmed from a Transnet tender scandal involving Molefe’s nephew, Lucky Molefe, who has since gone on the run. Lucky allegedly manipulated a multimillion-rand tender through SK Group, which sold parts to Transnet at highly inflated prices. When a Q Tech employee raised the alarm, the whistleblower became a target — but Swart, who was innocent, was killed instead.
Witness B told the commission that the SK Group account was linked to Molefe’s son, Thapelo, who was allegedly funnelling the proceeds of the fraud. “Thapelo Molefe is the one paying people, including the so-called director of SK,” she testified.
The commission also heard that senior police officials may have attempted to assist Molefe while he was in custody. Acting Sedibeng District police commissioner Brigadier Mbangwa Nkhwashu allegedly tried to visit Molefe “after hours”, arriving in an unmarked BMW and bringing him food and clothes. Prison authorities later confirmed that Nkhwashu’s visit was unauthorised.
Witness B said the incident was documented in an affidavit by the prison head, supported by CCTV footage.
As the inquiry continues, the testimonies have deepened concerns that criminal networks may be exerting influence within law enforcement — threatening to undermine the very institutions meant to protect justice in South Africa
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