Hawks officer questioned at Madlanga commission over role in Aeroton drug bust

A Hawks officer who gave evidence as “Witness I” at the Madlanga Commission was vigorously questioned on 10 June 2026 about his involvement in the July 2021 Aeroton drug bust that led to the seizure of 715.86 kilograms of cocaine valued at R300 million.

Key testimony and how he described his role

Giving testimony via audio link, Witness I said the Aeroton case was “related” to a 2020 seizure of one ton of cocaine that had been concealed in a boat on a truck. He described his own role in Aeroton as limited, saying he had been tasked with transporting a Saps 13 register to the police training college in Pretoria.

Chairperson challenges shifting account

The commission’s chairperson, retired judge Mbuyiseli Madlanga, pressed Witness I on his wording after the officer shifted from saying the matters were “related” to saying they were merely “similar.” Madlanga said the impression he got was that Witness I had wanted to use the earlier inquiry as a foothold to take control at Aeroton and “leapfrogging everyone else who was there.”

“Don’t keep changing. You said ‘related’, and I understood ‘related’ to be connected. Now, you are shifting and saying similar.”

When asked whether he accepted the chairperson’s assertion that the earlier inquiry had nothing to do with the Aeroton drug bust, Witness I replied, “No comment,” and later agreed with the chairperson.

Allegations of a cover-up and misleading superiors

Commissioner Sandile Khumalo suggested Witness I’s presence at Aeroton may have been intended to give legitimacy to what Khumalo described as an allegedly unlawful operation. Khumalo named a group he said was connected to the operation: businessman and police informant Tumelo Nku; Warrant Officer Marumo Magane; Warrant Officer Steve Phakula of the National Intervention Unit; and Gauteng Traffic Police officer Samuel Mashaba.

“You going there, presenting this [2020 inquiry] number and saying you were called was a cover so that they can say, ‘This is a lawful police operation; even SANEB is here, it has been called’.”

Khumalo also questioned why the Hawks officer had apparently told his superiors he was going to the high court on a personal matter when, Khumalo said, that was not true.

Conflicting versions of the Aeroton operation

Testimony at the commission has set out two sharply contrasting accounts of the Aeroton bust. One account presented the interception as a legitimate but poorly executed police operation involving Nku and the three law enforcement officers. The other account alleges that the group intended to steal the cocaine before other police officers arrived.

The three law enforcement officers and Nku were initially arrested and charged with defeating the ends of justice and drug dealing, but the National Prosecuting Authority declined to pursue the case and the charges were withdrawn in 2022.

Questions about senior interference

Witness testimony at the commission also referenced allegations that senior police figures may have interfered in the Aeroton operation, including mention of Crime Intelligence officer Feroz Khan.

The proceedings on 10 June 2026 continued to probe who attended the scene, why certain officers were present, and whether the operation had been properly authorised.