‘We are doomed as a nation’: Cop cries for justice while exposing SAPS corruption to save criminals | Madlanga Commission
Witness A was emotional when he was co concluding his testimony, told the Madlanga Commission of how unsafe it is for them as police officers who are behind cartels.
Image: Oupa Mokoena/Independent Newspapers
An emotional Witness A, a veteran police investigator, broke down on during his testimony at the Madlanga Commission, declaring he would “do it again in the next life” even though it’s life-threatening to stop ruthless criminals from destroying South Africa.
“If change does not happen soon, we are doomed as a nation,” he warned, his voice cracking.
“I hope that my evidence, in the face of real and present danger to my life, will contribute to a change in the police service or at least the beginning of a positive change.”
Witness A’s gripping testimony on Tuesday shed light on a dark web of corruption and organised crime inside the South African Police Service (SAPS), linked to the fatal shooting of engineer Armand Swart — now confirmed as a tragic case of mistaken identity.
Swart was gunned down in Vereeniging on April 17, 2024, in what investigators now believe was a botched hit targeting a Transnet-linked whistleblower.
At the centre of the storm: underworld figure Katiso “KT” Molefe, and, alarmingly, senior police officials allegedly complicit in obstructing justice.
In a rare moment of praise, Witness A hailed a July 6 media briefing by KZN Police Commissioner Lt-Gen. Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi as “the best thing that ever happened to South Africa,” saying it publicly exposed “deep-rooted corruption and political interference” within the SAPS.
More importantly, he said, it gave hope to grieving families: “It meant a lot to communities, and to the families of people killed by violence. I’ve met countless people who say they’re grateful for what the police — not just my team, but many unseen officers — are doing.”
Witness A recounted the death of a close colleague, a sergeant who was assassinated while investigating a high-stakes case in Soweto.
“He was gunned down for doing it all,” he said. “I didn’t talk about it before… I didn’t want to go there.”
The most damning revelations came when Witness A detailed how suspects, including Molefe in Swart’s murder, allegedly tried to bribe their way to freedom.
According to him, General Richard Shibiri of the National Organised Crime Unit allegedly hinted at bribing key court officials, saying “three envelopes” were on offer for the magistrate, prosecutor, and investigating officers.
“I left the meeting feeling like Shibiri wanted to find out what evidence we had, and bait us to see if we could be influenced,” he said.
The commission heard that despite clear leads and potential suspects, obstruction from within the SAPS itself has stalled progress in Swart’s murder case.
Witness A concluded his testimony on Tuesday remotely. Witness B is expected to take the stand on Wednesday.
kamogelo.moichela@iol.co.za
IOL Politics