‘Bodyguard links KT Molefe to Mchunu’

SUSPENDED Police Minister Senzo Mchunu’s name once again featured when police arrested controversial businessman and murder-accused Katiso ‘KT’ Molefe when they were apparently told that Molefe is friends with Mchunu.

This is according to the testimony of Captain Maxwell Wanda, a former member of the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT), who was at the time deployed to assist the Gauteng team of detectives investigating the murder of Vereeniging engineer, Armand Swart. 

Swart was shot and killed when hitmen allegedly mistook him for a colleague who had exposed tender corruption linked to Transnet.

Testifying before the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry about what transpired in Sandhurst when the members were effecting the arrest of Molefe, he said Molefe’s bodyguard/driver told the task team that Molefe was friends with Mchunu.

“Before I entered the back entrance, Mr Lehasa Moloi (Molefe’s bodyguard/driver) was just seated there, but guarded by combat members. And he asked me for an excuse for which I attended to him,” the witness said.

Moloi started interacting with him, asking for water and a cigarette, he said. Wanda testified that he then called Molefe’s son to come and assist with water and a cigarette, which he organised, and it was served by Molefe’s son. 

“When he was done before I left him, he asked me a question that, ‘Captain, what is gonna happen now because the arrested person is a friend of the minister?’ Then I asked him, ‘Who is that minister?’. Then he said, ‘The Minister of Police’. I then said Honourable Senzo Mchunu? And he said ‘yes’. I then explained to him just a standard procedure if a person is arrested,” Wanda said.

He did not ask Moloi further questions, as he had to attend the takedown operation. 

The witness also told the commission that he viewed the presence of the Hawks members at the scene as possible interference.

He had identified some with Hawks golf T-shirts, which they were wearing, while others were in civilian clothing.

Wanda stated that his commander had not mentioned that there would be Hawks members joining the team effecting the arrest of Molefe.

“The presence of the Hawks was concerning to me, because they came in numbers, I did not expect them to be present at the scene. They were aggressive, imposing questions on me about the case. This didn’t sit well with me. Why such a big number (six to eight members in Hawks golf T-shirts)? If they had asked a question in a friendly manner, it wouldn’t have been a problem,” Wanda said.

He added that they had to pause the takedown operation and go outside to attend to the Hawks members.

Cape Times