lab

On 12 November 2021, the lab took up exhibits including 999 kg of cocaine and 547 kg of Mandrax, initially stored at Isipingo and Durban Central.

“It is only on the 12th of November 2021 that these exhibits, 999 kg of Cocaine ... together with those exhibits that were initially at Isipingo and then moved to Durban Central, it was only at that stage ... that the lab had taken them up”

Colonel Jacob acknowledges that during normal lab duties, the lab only identifies cocaine as the active ingredient but does not provide information on its purity or quality.

“during the normal course of duties, our lab does not give us any indication in terms of purity, in terms of anything distinguishing on Cocaine. When they put it through their machines, all they are checking for is Cocaine, the active ingredient in this”

If an exhibit has not gone for analysis and the case is going nowhere, the SAP 83 A form can be completed and exhibits handed back to the lab for destruction.

“If your exhibits have not gone for analysis, and you have got them lying, or even if they have gone for analysis, but they have not analysed them yet, and then you realise, okay, my case is going nowhere... you can also complete that SAP 83 A at that stage, and hand it to the lab to ask them to destroy those exhibits.”

Drugs could not be destroyed because the lab would not accept possession of exhibits for destruction, analysis, or disposal due to lack of space.

“The lab has to be in possession of your exhibit when you submit that SAP 83 (a) ... The lab could not even house that thing for , we could not take it there . They were not accepting it . Whether it be for destruction , disposal , analysis , they were not taking these exhibits .”

ADV BALOYI SC argues under COLONEL JACOB's account, the drugs' only possible fate was theft, not destruction, as the lab did not have the drugs due to lack of space.

“Your answer then suggests that the only destiny for these drugs was they were going to be stolen because this lab was not going to have them because they do not have space and Pretoria, you tell us, you even tried Pretoria, it does not have space. The lab could never destroy the drugs though the investigation finished, and their destiny was to be stolen.”

Drugs exhibited from Maydon Wharf in August were taken on 12 November 2021 for destruction after the lab initially could not keep or house them.

“And they also take those exhibits from Maydon Wharf from the eighth month. ... but when eventually they took it, it went straight for destruction.”

The lab cannot keep or house seized drugs and can only dispose of them at certain periodic intervals at a location with an incinerator.

“The lab has certain periods or intervals that they take drugs for destruction to a certain, I will not disclose the location, but there is an incinerator there.”

Being trained and mentored in the lab aims to ensure analysts work independently without influence even from their superiors, which guards against undue influence.

“The influence that we are talking about, because the lab has this part of criteria. When you join the lab, you are trained. Then you go to a mentorship. Then you must be able to work independently without influence, even from your superiors in the lab who you report to. They cannot tell you what the results must be. That is the undue influence that I was talking about, which is to work independently.”

Sampling is the process of taking a representative sample from a homogeneous population to identify the population's contents; it involves visual identification and counting according to a hypergeometric sampling plan used internationally by the lab.

“Sampling is when you have a population . The population characters must be homologous , which means it must be the same . From there , then you take a representative sample from the homologous population . You take a representative sample from them , and then that representative sample will tell you what the population contains . ... The first step in sampling is the visual identification , whereby you are speaking to the characters , that the characters are homologous . The other steps in sampling is to count the population , because the lab uses a sampling plan called a hypergeometric sampling plan . The hypergeometric sampling plan is a sampling plan designed from statistical principles that the lab uses ...”

When exhibits arrived at the lab, the lab noted small tears in exhibit bags requiring Nortje and Morris to transfer contents to new evidence bags.

“we also heard testimony that when the exhibits arrived at the labs, the lab noted that there were small tears in the exhibit bags, necessitating Nortje and Morris to use, to put eight of the bags into new evidence bags”

In 2024, the lab discovered that 136 kilograms of an exhibit are unaccounted for.

“We know from testimony that sometime in 024, the lab discovers that 136 kilograms ... is unaccounted for”