Madlanga Inquiry: Hawks Chief Testifies on Molefe Arrest Operation
The head of the Hawks’ Tactical Operations Unit, Brigadier Lesiba Mokoena, has confirmed that he sent officers to verify the legitimacy of a police operation at the home of alleged criminal Katiso “KT” Molefe.
Mokoena was testifying before the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry in Pretoria on Wednesday. He told the commission that he acted on instructions from his superior, who had asked him to confirm whether the December 2024 raid and arrest of Molefe were authorised.
Disputed Police Operation
The raid in question was conducted by the Political Killings Task Team, which sought to apprehend Molefe in connection with the murder of Vereeniging engineer Armand Swart.
However, the operation allegedly turned confrontational when a group of “aggressive” individuals claiming to be Hawks officers tried to block the task team from carrying out the arrest.
Verification Mission
Brigadier Mokoena said he had only deployed two Hawks officers to the scene to confirm whether the operation was legitimate. He denied any knowledge of additional Hawks members who appeared during the raid.
According to Mokoena, he was instructed to verify reports that individuals claiming to represent the Hawks and to be acting on behalf of national head General Godfrey Lebeya were involved in the incident.
“My members were sent to Molefe’s address solely to confirm whether it was a legitimate police operation,” he told the inquiry.
The Madlanga Commission continues to hear testimony as it investigates allegations of interference and misconduct in politically sensitive police operations.