Witness A revealed to the Madlanga Commission how the Hawks and Gauteng Traffic Police actively disrupted the arrest of alleged underworld figure Katiso “KT” Molefe at his multimillion-rand Sandhurst residence late last year.
Witness A said that a planned search and seizure linked to the Armand Swart murder investigation was conducted at Molefe’s house in December.
He said the hawks almost derailed the mission.
At the same time, a police helicopter was deployed to hover above the property in what he described as an attempt to intimidate or surveil officers involved in the operation.
“It was a police traffic helicopter hovering so low over his house, we had to report it and call for reinforcements,” Witness A said.
The aircraft was later reportedly to be piloted by Chief Provincial Inspector George Raftopoulos, who acknowledged he was acting on a complaint from DPCI claiming “bogus police” were raiding Molefe’s home.
Molefe, a businessman with alleged ties to criminal networks and questionable state contracts, reportedly consented to the search.
Authorities discovered a trove of sensitive documents—company registration papers, tender applications linked to Transnet, and files related to SK Group, a firm supplying Transnet Freight Rail.
One document raised eyebrows: a page filled with repeated signatures, as if someone had been practicing forgeries.
Despite the incriminating material, Molefe distanced himself from the findings, claiming the documents belonged to his nephew, Lucky Molefe, and son.
“He denied everything,” said Witness A.
“But there was a lot of paper—too much to ignore.”
Lucky Molefe was an employee of Transnet and was also responsible for purchasing products for the firm.
The interruption by DPCI officials raises serious questions.
Witness A alleged they were sent by then-Hawks head Lt-Gen Godfrey Lebeya.
The officials demanded case details and sought to take over the operation, requests flatly denied by the arresting officers.
“It became clear Molefe had reached,” the witness said.
“The pushback from the Hawks and the sudden deployment of a helicopter made it feel like we were not mainly dealing with just a mere businessman.”
Adding another layer of intrigue, Witness A revealed a disturbing phone call received during the raid.
The unnamed caller saved in the witness’s personal contact list warned: “Now you’ve arrested a person of the Generals.”
No clarification was offered on which General was being referenced.
Further complicating matters is the alleged discovery of communication between a DPCI member known only as “Zungu” and controversial tender mogul Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala on Matlala’s seized cellphone.
Zungu is believed to be connected to figures implicated in the murder of Swart, the whistleblower whose killing rocked multiple state entities.
Molefe, who has not yet been formally charged, remains under investigation. He was recently released on bail.
But Witness told the commission that the police were searching for the nephew in relation to Sward’s murder.
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