Public rallies to replace Hawks officer Karl Sanders’ stolen coffee machine

South Africans have raised funds to replace a coffee machine stolen from KwaZulu‑Natal Hawks Warrant Officer Karl Sanders after his emotional testimony at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry.

Campaign and donations

The BackaBuddy fundraiser was launched by Kyle van Reenen with an initial target of R5,000, and had raised R205,659 from 935 unique donors at the time of publication with The Citizen reporting the total as more than R212,043 as of going to press ( The Citizen).

Why the campaign began

Sanders told the commission that his personal coffee machine had been stolen from a Hawks office. The Citizen reports he said investigators then directed allegations at him over the disappearance of his property; the stolen machine had come to symbolise a small comfort amid what he described as years of mistreatment ( The Citizen).

Timing and context

The Citizen says the machine was stolen from a Hawks facility in Port Shepstone in 2021. The BackaBuddy campaign was launched “just two days ago,” according to The Citizen ( The Citizen).

Campaign message and public reaction

In the BackaBuddy campaign description quoted by The Citizen, van Reenen wrote:

“For 40 years, Warrant Officer Sanders has worn the badge and served the people of South Africa with dedication, integrity, and commitment… To Warrant Officer Sanders, it was a small comfort during long days of service.”

Many donors left messages thanking Sanders for his service and praising his integrity ( The Citizen).

Claims and unverified details

This revision draws only on reporting in The Citizen. Any claims not reported there have been omitted pending further sourcing ( The Citizen).

Fact‑checked and updated to reflect The Citizen reporting.