How KT Molefe and hitman 'personally scouted' slain Armand Swarts' workplace

SLAIN engineer Armand Swarts was killed days after the company he worked for raised questions about a Transnet tender issued to SK Group, a company found to be inflating prices.

This emerged when Witness B, a detective with the Organised Crime unit of the SAPS in Gauteng, testified at the Madlanga Commission on Wednesday. 

She is one of the detectives investigating Swart’s murder. He was shot dead on  April 7, 2024 in the mistaken belief that he was a whistleblower providing police with crucial information. 

The hitmen allegedly mistook him for a colleague who had exposed corruption in a tender linked to Transnet. The company Swart worked for had uncovered overpricing of 4,650% on small engineering parts at Transnet.

In her testimony, Witness B placed controversial businessman and murder-accused Katiso ‘KT’ Molefe and his ‘friend’ Warrant Officer Michael Pule Tau  in the vicinity of Swart’s workplace in Vereeniging, days before the murder.

At the centre of the scandal is Lucky Molefe, Katiso’s nephew, who was employed as a buyer for Transnet, and Thapelo Molefe, Katiso’s son, who were both benefitting from the SK Group. 

Investigations revealed that money would go from the SK Group bank account to Thapelo’s bank account, who would then distribute it, according to Witness B. The small parts supplied to Transnet by SK Group were bought from Q-Tech for R3.95, and sold by SK Group to Transnet for R150.

She also testified that  the tender in question was never advertised, and the two competing companies were dormant, meaning that there was never competition for SK Group in the first place.

According to Witness B, the company Swart worked for reported the fraud to Transnet and later to a government department. This, she said, prompted a probe. 

The problems, according to Witness B,  began when an investigating officer from Transnet requested tender documents from Lucky Molefe, to find out how the tender was awarded.

Witness B said that the first ‘scouting’ on 12 April, 2025 was triggered by the investigating officer of Transnet requesting tender documents from Lucky Molefe, and (the killers felt) 'something needed to be done urgently, otherwise there were going to be problems'.

“On 12 April 2024, we see Tau driving to Katiso Molefe’s house according to the (cellphone/tower) data and the vehicle tracker, and then they both drive to Q-Tech for the first time,” Witness B stated. 

“The communication is mainly between Mr Molefe (Katiso) and Tau. Then we see them meeting personally for the first time on the 12th (April 2024) after Lucky relented that he was requested to bring the (tender) papers. But instead of Lucky bringing the papers, we see action happening between Tau and Molefe, when they start going to the very same Q-Tech to scout.” 

“You can see from (tower/cellphone and car tracker) data that Tau drove to Katiso’s place, and then you can see that they were together, picked up at the same tower at Katiso’s place. They didn’t even take some time.  Shortly, they are seen driving together to Vereeniging at Q-Tech. And then from there, they go back to Katiso’s house, and then Tau goes his way,” Witness B stated.

According to Witness B, there was scouting on different dates in April 2024.  

The testimony continues.

Cape Times