Lebeya tells Madlanga Commission he was unaware of Port Shepstone cocaine inquiry

Retired Hawks head Lieutenant-General Seswantsho Godfrey Lebeya told the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry that he was not aware of any investigation into the November 2021 theft of about 541kg of cocaine that had been stored at Hawks offices in Port Shepstone.

What Lebeya told the commission

Lebeya said the drugs had been intercepted on 2 June 2021 at the Durban port, moved to Hawks premises and then disappeared months later. He told the commission on Thursday that he would have known if a departmental investigation had been opened against the provincial head, because such a matter would have reached him.

When co-commissioner Sandile Khumalo asked whether the recommended investigation had taken place, Lebeya replied:

“To my knowledge, there wasn’t.”

Confronted with the written recommendation that an inquiry be pursued, Lebeya said:

“No, but this is what the recommendation says.”

Aeroton seizure and related testimony

The commission also questioned Lebeya about the Aeroton drug bust of 9 July 2021, in which more than 700kg of cocaine was seized after being concealed as truck parts. Lebeya rejected an account that he had been visited on the day of the operation, saying the meeting took place on 13 July, four days after the seizure.

He confirmed that he took notes during that meeting and was told there was initially about 1,000kg of cocaine before the amount was later given as 805kg. Lebeya said the 805kg figure appeared to have been confused with the consignment seized during the 2 June operation.

Lebeya said he was told only police officers involved in escorting the drugs had been arrested, and that information from General Feroz Khan had led to arrests and that members were expected to appear in court.

Prosecutor, follow-up and next steps

According to Lebeya, Major General Ebrahim Kadwa had asked a Senior Public Prosecutor to place the matter on the court roll, but the prosecutor refused. Lebeya acknowledged that he did not return to the person who had given him the information, saying there had been no request for him to do so and that he had used his discretion in deciding how to handle the matter.

The commission heard that SAPS management had recommended an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the theft of the Port Shepstone consignment. The testimony has placed the two major 2021 cocaine seizures Aeroton and Port Shepstone at the centre of questions about police investigations and the handling of seized drugs.

Return to the commission

Lebeya will return to the Madlanga Commission on a date to be arranged.