Gauteng Province

Warrant Officer Phakula transferred to Gauteng Provincial Investigation Unit in 2011, promoted to sergeant, investigating serious crimes such as truck hijacking, house robberies, business robberies, car hijackings in Gauteng Province.

“I was transferred to the Gauteng Provincial Investigation Unit in 2011. This is the very same year I was promoted to the rank of a Sergeant. My duties were to investigate crimes such as truck hijacking, house robberies, business robberies, car hijackings, and other serious and violent crimes within the Gauteng Province.”

Currently Colonel Steyn serves as Unit Commander for Serious Organised Crime Investigations in West Rand and coordinates major investigations involving narcotics, cash-in-transit robberies, police killings, illicit gold and diamond dealing, infrastructure crimes, trafficking in persons and kidnapping for ransom.

“My current responsibilities, as I am serving as a Unit Commander for Serious Organised Crime Investigations in West Rand... I also oversee investigations involving narcotic-related offences, cash-in-transit robberies, police killings, illicit gold and diamond dealing, infrastructure-related crimes, trafficking in persons and kidnapping for ransom investigations... I am also continuing duties as Provincial Coordinator for SANEB and KFR investigations... I coordinate most major investigations dealt with by the aforesaid structure within the Gauteng province.”

Crime prevalence differs by province: North West most affected by illegal mining, illicit drugs, and firearm trafficking; Gauteng by illicit drugs, precious metals, firearms, ammunition, and cash-in-transit heists; KwaZulu-Natal by illicit drugs, CIT, and non-ferrous metals crimes; Western Cape (esp Cape Town) by illicit drugs, marine life crimes, firearms, ammunition, and gangsterism.

“The order of prevalence of these crimes will differ from province to province. In the North West, illegal mining, illicit drugs, and firearm trafficking are the most prevalent. In Gauteng, illicit drugs, precious metals and diamonds, firearms and ammunition, and cash-in-transit heists are the most prevalent. In KwaZulu-Natal, illicit drugs, CIT, and non-ferrous metals crimes are the most prevalent. And in the Western Cape, with specific reference to Cape Town, illicit drugs, marine life crimes, firearms and ammunition, and gangsterism-related offences are the most prevalent.”

Major General Khumalo was to oversee investigations directed by Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi, including multiple dockets from all five districts within Gauteng.

“Major General Khumalo was to oversee those investigations as directed by the Premier of Gauteng, Mr Panyaza Lesufi. The instructions was not limited to the Katiso case. It applied to many dockets from all five districts within the Gauteng Province.”

The Provincial Commissioner issued an internal correspondence to the five District Commissioners in Gauteng requesting a list of wanted suspects to be purified, including checking their status (on the run, arrested, other cases or deceased).

“Provincial Commissioner ... issued an internal correspondence to the five District Commissioners within the Gauteng Province ... requesting for the list of wanted suspects to be purified . Whether they are still on the run , arrested , or other cases or deceased”