Colonel Jacob’s enquiry about whether a crime scene analyst would analyse the case did not sit well with Warrant Officer Setshedi who raised it with her commander Colonel Songca.
“Colonel Jacob’s enquiry as to whether one of the crime scene analysts would analyse the case did not sit well with me. After my conversation with Colonel Jacob, I contacted my Commander, Colonel Songca, and informed her about my conversation with Colonel Jacob. In particular, his enquiry about a crime scene analyst analysing the case.”
Colonel Songca advised that the case, having been submitted to FSL, would be allocated to any analyst and that a request for a specific analyst by an Investigating Officer was irregular.
“Colonel Songca told me that since the case had been submitted to FSL, it will be allocated to any analyst, and that is my Commander, she considered the request from an Investigating Officer for a specific analyst to analyse the case to be irregular.”
On 11 May 2026, Colonel Jacob communicated urgently through Setshedi's immediate supervisor to meet Setshedi and discuss the 27 October 2021 incident.
“on the 11th of May 2026, the Colonel was communicating with my immediate Supervisor...requested to see me so that I can remind him what we talked about on the 27th of October 2021”
Setshedi refused to meet Colonel Jacob alone on 11 May 2026 due to distrust fearing Jacob would twist his words; Colonel Songca arranged for questions to be sent to Setshedi instead.
“I told the Colonel that, Colonel, I am not comfortable to talk to Colonel Jacob alone ... I am afraid that he will twist whatever is said in that meeting... The Colonel said Colonel Jacob must send the questions that he wants to talk to me about. Then the questions were sent”
Colonel Khuzwayo requested the clan lab team members to assist Brigadier Nyuswa's team at Isipingo for a cocaine case and to guide them on how to sample.
“C o l o n e l K h u z w a y o , f r o m t h e m e m b e r , h e i n d i c a t e d t h a t C o l o n e l K h u z w a y o r e q u e s t e d m y c l a n l a b t e a m m e m b e r s t o g o a n d a s s i s t B r i g a d i e r N y u s w a ' s t e a m a t10 I s i p i n g o f o r a C o c a i n e c a s e , a n d t o g u i d e B r i g a d i e r N y u s w a 's t e a m o n h o w t o s a m p l e .”
FSL's operation was governed by National Instruction 1/2015, National Instruction 8/2017, and the Protocol on the Search, Seizure, Handling, Processing, and Disposal of Illicit Drugs at the time of the June 2021 cocaine seizure.
“F S L 's o p e r a t i o n a t t h e t i m e w a s s u b j e c t t o N a t i o n a l I n s t r u c t i o n 1 / 2 0 1 5 , N a t i o n a l I n s t r u c t i o n 8 / 2 0 1 7 , a n d t h e P r o t o c o l o n t h e S e a r c h , S e i z u r e , H a n d l i n g , P r o c e s s i n g , a n d D i s p o s a l o f I l l i c i t D r u g s , t h e P r o t o c o l .”
At 8 am on 23 June 2021, while on vacation leave, Lieutenant Colonel Songca received telephone calls instructing clan lab team members to assist Brigadier Nyuswa's team at Isipingo on a cocaine case and to guide on sampling procedures.
“A n d o n t h a t d a y , i n t h e m o r n i n g , a r o u n d 8 o ' c l o c k , I r e c e i v e d a t e l e p h o n e c a l l f r o m o n e o f t h e t e a m m e m b e r s o n t h e c l a n l a b . T h e y a r e s t a n d b y d u t y m e m b e r s o f t w o m e m b e r s p e r t i m e . S o o n t h a t d a y , I r e c e i v e d a c a l l f r o m W a r r a n t O f f i c e r N k o s i , a n d h e i n f o r m e d m e t h a t h e h a s r e c e i v e d a c a l l f r o m C o l o n e l K h u z w a y o , w h o m I h a v e i d e n t i f i e d h e r a s m y d i r e c t C o m m a n d e r . C o l o n e l K h u z w a y o , f r o m t h e m e m b e r , h e i n d i c a t e d t h a t C o l o n e l K h u z w a y o r e q u e s t e d m y c l a n l a b t e a m m e m b e r s t o g o a n d a s s i s t B r i g a d i e r N y u s w a ' s t e a m a t10 I s i p i n g o f o r a C o c a i n e c a s e , a n d t o g u i d e B r i g a d i e r N y u s w a 's t e a m o n h o w t o s a m p l e .”
Colonel Khuzwayo and Brigadier Maluleke requested clan lab KZN team members to assist Brigadier Nyuswa's team at Isipingo on sampling in a cocaine case.
“B r i g a d i e r M a l u l e k e i n d i c a t e d t o m e20 t h a t h e r e q u e s t e d m y t e a m m e m b e r s f o r c l a n l a b K Z N t o g o t o I s i p i n g o t o a s s i s t B r i g a d i e r N y u s w a ' s t e a m a n d g u i d e t h e m o n h o w t o s a m p l e i n a C o c a i n e c a s e .”
The clan lab team does not assist DPCI or investigating officers by guiding them on how to sample exhibits as this is a forensic lab function to be done by forensic experts.
“I clearly defined and explained to Brigadier Maluleke that clan lab team do not assist DPCI or investigating officer on guiding them on how to sample because that is a forensic lab work to be done”
Colonel Khuzwayo requested LT-COL SONGCA's team to assist Brigadier Nyuswa's team to guide on how to sample a cocaine case at Isipingo and was informed that the clan lab team members cannot attend due to lack of training for sampling.
“She said to me, she request my team to go and assist Brigadier Nyuswa's team to guide them on how to sample a Cocaine case at Isipingo. I responded the same way I have responded to Brigadier Maluleke to Colonel Khuzwayo and explained to her why my members cannot attend”
LT-COL SONGCA explained that she makes efforts to clarify sampling restrictions to senior officers and informs them of her good relationship with DPCI for information seeking and assistance.
“I did my extent to explain to them my restriction as a clan lab manager so that they understand clearly even to the person who have phoned them to request. I even further explained to them, if you have got any challenge to the requestee, you can ask him to call me back because I have got a good relationship with DPCI.”
LT-COL SONGCA knew the assistance requested by Brigadier Nyuswa's team was related to a non-clan lab crime scene and therefore did not send her members out.
“From the information that I have requested from the three people that have communicated to me, because I even asked from Colonel Khuzwayo, what is there that the members, they are going to do? He said, they are just going to assist them and guide them on how to sample. Then I said, it is not within my restriction for my members to guide the investigating officer because they do not have the training for sampling”
LT-COL SONGCA explained if Colonel Khuzwayo had requested her clan lab members to actually go out and do sampling (not just guide), she would still not have sent members because she has to minimize members going out unnecessarily and would require detailed information and direct contact with investigating officer.
“If she indicates it is a clan lab, I further go in details because I have to minimise my members to go out where there is no need for that. I will request, because if they were phoning me in a state phone, I would request Colonel Khuzwayo to provide me the details of the investigating officer so that prior releasing my members, I contacted the investigating officer of the matter to find out the details of the actual area that is involved. This includes whereby they will even send me the photos and we can talk about the clan lab to see whether it fit in with the criteria”
LT-COL SONGCA has a direct contact with investigating officers to verify if the location meets the clan lab criteria before releasing members to attend a crime scene.
“Even if Colonel Khuzwayo can say it is a clan lab, I will request a further communication with that investigating officer before I release my members”
LT-COL SONGCA received a call from Colonel Khuzwayo a few minutes later, repeating the request, but she did not know if Colonel Khuzwayo knew about the earlier call by Brigadier Maluleke.
“You receive a few minutes later a call from Colonel Khuzwayo. Does she tell you why she is calling you with the same instruction? Did she know that Brigadier Maluleke had just called you? She did not indicate who called her. She just said, can my team members go and assist”
LT-COL SONGCA has often been requested by DPCI to send members out but never to go and guide on sampling.
“Have you ever been requested by DPCI directly to send your members out? A lot of time, Counsellor. But not to go and guide on sampling? No, Counsellor”
LT-COL SONGCA stated they have a good working relationship with DPCI and that she was shocked to receive calls from senior officers requesting assistance contrary to their protocol.
“So we have got a good relationship working with them. So it was shocking for me now that I received a call from a senior but I am working with them. Almost they are my primary customers when it comes to clan lab”
Brigadier Nyuswa's team would normally call LT-COL SONGCA directly for instructions on sampling or assistance.
“Would you have expected Brigadier Nyuswa to call you directly or somebody from his team? Yes, Counsellor. Because they know you are the person that gives that instruction? Yes, Counsellor”
There was a WhatsApp message sent on 11 May 2026 relating to matters discussed involving Colonel Khuzwayo, which was no longer accessible during preparation.
“the message came on the 11th May 2026... now when we are preparing, I want this message, it is no longer there... But the contact that he sent the message with is still with him, my phone and it was a WhatsApp communication”
Colonel Songca informed that the crime scene was not a clan lab crime scene, and therefore FS L members could not attend or assist with sampling.
“Colonel Songca informed me that the scene we were requested to attend was not a clan lab crime scene and as such, her members could not attend the scene.”
Colonel Khuwayo agreed with Colonel Songca's response and informed Brigadier Maluleke that FS L could not send members to assist for reasons stated by Colonel Songca.
“I accepted and agreed with her response. Thereafter, I contacted Brigadier Maluleke and informed him that we could not send members for the reasons mentioned by Colonel Songca during our call.”