The public hearings of the Madlanga Commission are set to resume with explosive testimony, as three South African Police Service (SAPS) members directly involved in the arrest of alleged underworld kingpin Katiso “KT” Molefe are scheduled to take the stand.
Their testimony, set for Wednesday at the Brigitte Mabandla Justice College in Pretoria, will delve into a takedown operation so chaotic that it has sparked allegations of high-level police sabotage from within.
An Arrest Plagued by “Friendly Fire”
Molefe was arrested at his multi-million rand Sandhurst home in Johannesburg on December 6, 2024, for the murder of engineer Armand Swart. But according to previous witnesses, the operation was nearly derailed not by Molefe’s own security, but by fellow law enforcement officers.
Last week, a witness known only as “Witness A” told the commission that members of the Hawks and the Gauteng Traffic Police actively worked to disrupt the arrest. The situation escalated dramatically when a police traffic helicopter began hovering menacingly low over the property.
“It was a police traffic helicopter hovering so low over his house, we had to report it and call for reinforcements,” Witness A testified. The pilot was later identified as Chief Provincial Inspector George Raftopoulos, who claimed he was acting on a complaint from the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI) about “bogus police” conducting a raid.
A Rogue JMPD Officer and a “Sick Note”
The plot thickened with the testimony of “Witness B,” who shared similar sentiments about the intimidating police presence. What shocked this witness even more was the unauthorized appearance of Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) officer Johannes Mokgatle.
Officer Mokgatle had reportedly called in sick that day, yet he was discovered at Molefe’s residence during the high-stakes operation. His presence was viewed not as a coincidence, but as a “deliberate obstruction,” raising serious questions about internal misconduct and potential collusion within the JMPD.
The Stage is Set for a Reckoning
The upcoming testimony from the three SAPS members is expected to provide a ground-level view of these extraordinary events. They will likely detail the confusion and danger of an operation where the biggest threat seemed to come from the very institutions meant to be upholding the law.
The commission, which is probing political interference and criminal syndicate infiltration in the justice system, now faces a stark allegation: that a coordinated effort from within law enforcement attempted to protect a high-profile suspect from arrest. The stage is set for a dramatic reckoning on who knew what, and who was truly giving the orders that day.
