Dumisani Khumalo
Lieutenant General Dumisani Khumalo will resume testimony at the Madlanga Commission after falling ill on 1 October. Earlier, Lt Gen Dumisani Mbotho and other witnesses addressed allegations of Hawks’ interference during the December 2024 operation at Katiso Molefe’s house, noting delays and procedural concerns.
Lieutenant General Dumisani Khumalo, SAPS Divisional Commissioner for Crime Intelligence, is set to return to the Madlanga Commission on Tuesday to continue his testimony after falling ill on 1 October. On Monday, the commission heard from Lieutenant General Dumisani Mbotho, who addressed allegations that the Hawks interfered in investigations during the operation at Katiso “KT” Molefe’s house on 6 December 2024. Mbotho said he was not surprised by the claims but noted that the matter involving Captain Barry Kruger of the Hawks and Captain Maxwell Wanda from the Political Killings Task Team should have been resolved through proper procedures. Mbotho questioned why the officers delayed at the scene after verifying that the operation was legitimate. “I would have expected Captain Kruger and Captain Wanda to exchange their details, and once the operation was confirmed as official, everything should have ended there,” he said. He added that further actions, such as taking photos outside, were unnecessary. Mbotho also agreed with the commission that requesting case numbers or the identity of the person being arrested after verification could amount to interference. Brigadier Lesiba Mokoena testified that Hawks members were dispatched to Molefe’s house following reports of alleged bogus cops posing as Hawks officers. Acting on instructions from his divisional head, Mokoena contacted operational members, including Kruger, to verify the report. Captain Wanda said he joined the operation at Molefe’s house after his commander instructed him to do so. Warrant Officer Sabelo Nkosi told the commission he unexpectedly found himself at the scene, which delayed a planned operation in Thabazimbi, North West. Nkosi described Mokoena’s directive as “strange,” noting that a local police station could have handled the verification. He added that Kruger’s delay at Molefe’s house was unnecessary, as the priority should have been the life-threatening operation elsewhere.
