Maydon Wharf

Maj-Gen Senona admitted he did not know where Maydon Wharf was and was not oriented about KwaZulu-Natal, thus was unfamiliar with facilities and police stations in the area relevant to his duties as DPCI head KZN between August 2020 and June 2022.

“I do not know where is Maydon Wharf. You say Maydon Wharf or Wadean Wharf, I do not know... since August 2020 when you took office until June 2022, you did not acquaint yourself with the environment and the facilities and the police stations you may have to work with... I was not even orientated about KwaZulu-Natal”

Chairperson accuses Colonel Jacob of making a factual incorrect assumption that all storage avenues for seized copper were exhausted and not conducting proper enquiries at police stations like Durban Central, Brighton Beach, Maydon Wharf, and Umbilo.

“Did you ask? ... You simply made an assumption... It is not factually correct that you had exhausted all avenues...You did not make that groundwork.”

Colonel Jacob acknowledged that the police did not comply with National Instruction 8 of 2017 section 7.4 regarding registration of property at Maydon Wharf.

“Why did you not comply with 17.4 ... All property and exhibits must be entered in the SAP 13 of the relevant police station ... Maydon Wharf being the nearest police station?”

Colonel Jacob states that Maydon Wharf does not ordinarily receive exhibits seized outside its policing area such as IsiPingo, and no records exist of such transfers.

“the Maydon Wharf would not ordinarily receive exhibits that were seized in the Isipingo Policing Area ... I am not familiar with any such case that we have on record where we have now transferred exhibits from one of those identified depots to Maydon Wharf”

Colonel Jacob acknowledges that CHC Depot is within Durban Harbour Police jurisdiction but rejects the idea that exhibits seized outside that area must be sent to Maydon Wharf.

“you have accepted that the CHC Depot is within the harbour area under, in whose jurisdiction, or in whose area the Durban Harbour Police have jurisdiction ... I have never known of one case of those exhibits now being sent to Maydon Wharf because they fall under Durban Harbour Policing area”

Drugs seized and stored at Maydon Wharf lay there for three months before the lab accepted them after a theft at Port Shepstone.

“these drugs lay at Maydon Wharf for three months and it was only subsequent, or after the theft of the drugs in Port Shepstone, that now the lab saw fit to start accepting these exhibits”

Storage capacity at Maydon Wharf was uncertain, but the SAP 1320 safes were clogged with the cocaine exhibits.

“the SAP 1320 safes get clogged up, so we were going to have 999 kg of Cocaine there with another 500 kg, so that is one and a half tonnes. I am not sure of the storage capacity at Maydon Wharf”

Before July 30, 2021, there was space to store 540 kilograms of exhibits at Maydon Wharf.

“before July of 2021, before the 30th of July 2021, what it shows is that there was space to store 540 kilograms at Maydon Wharf”

The document incorrectly stated a 999 kg seizure at Maydon Wharf was at the CHC Depot; Colonel Jacob corrected this saying no 999 kg seizure was at CHC Depot but at Maydon Wharf

“there is no 999 that was seized at CHC ... it was not at the CHC Depot ... as the commander of the unit, I am familiar with my cases”

The Chairperson states it is not credible to suggest there was no space to store 999 kg at Maydon Wharf in June 2021.

“From the fact that the 999 kg could be accommodated, it can never be suggested that there was no space. In June, when they got theirs.”

Colonel Jacob concedes Maydon Wharf was in a position to accept a tonne of chemicals in June 2021.

“There is no way I am going to show you that Maydon Wharf was not in a position to accept a tonne when it did.”

Colonel Jacob did not request evidence bags from Maydon Wharf prior to opening the bags at Isipingo, expecting the bags to be available there but they were not.

“My initial thinking was when we get to Isipingo Station, we will bag it there, because Isipingo ought to have bags. It turns out that they did not.”

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.”

Contrary to Colonel Jacob's assertion, there was storage capacity at Maydon Wharf, Durban, meaning storage space was available in Durban at the relevant time.

“there was storage at Maydon Wharf... it has been demonstrated to you there was”

Warrant Officer Sander was involved in multiple drug busts in Durban between 2020 and 2023 involving large quantities of Mandrax, cocaine, and methamphetamine.

“General Flynn had created table of drug busts that occurred in Durban... 5 February 2020 at CHC Depot, 547 kilograms Mandrax... 8 May 2020... 11 August 2020, Durban, 20 kilograms of Cocaine... 23 February 2021, 495 packages of Meth... 30 July 2021, Maydon Wharf, 1,000 kilograms of Cocaine... 28 November 2022, 60 kilograms of Cocaine at R & D Port... 13/10/2023, 228 kilograms of Cocaine at Dube Cold Storage...”

Brigadier Nyuswa did not discuss any alternative storage for seized cocaine, nor mention more secure options such as Durban Police Stations, Maydon Wharf or Isipingo Stations, despite knowing the vulnerabilities of the DPCI office and the lack of active security.

“During that call, Brigadier Nyuswa did not discuss other alternatives. He made no mention of any other storage. I know there were Durban Police Stations, Maydon Wharf or Isipingo Stations, which operate 24 hours. These would have been more secure. Brigadier Nyuswa never mentioned anything about taking the exhibits to Isipingo or booking them at the Isipingo Police Station. Brigadier Nyuswa was obviously aware of the storage capacity of the safe. Equally, he was aware of the vulnerabilities of the DPCI office and the fact that there was no active security.”

Four closest police stations to Durban harbour where exhibits were stored: Isipingo, Maydon Wharf, Brighton Beach, and Umbilo.

“the four closest police stations to the Durban harbour are Isipingo, Maydon Wharf, Brighton Beach and Umbilo”

A drug bust on 30 July 2021 involved approximately 1,000 kg cocaine stored at Maydon Wharf.

“One of those enquiries was the 30 July 2021, approximately 1,000 kilogram cocaine bust”

The cocaine was stored at the DPCI facility in Port Shepstone instead of other nearby locations like Maydon Wharf, Brighton Beach, Umbilo, or Durban Central, which was only 24 km away from Isipingo.

“the cocaine was taken to a DPCI storage in Port Shepstone. The cocaine was not stored at the Maydon Wharf, at Brighton Beach, at Umbilo, or at Durban Central, the furthest of which is Durban Central, is only 24 kilometres from Isipingo”

A 1,000 kilogram bust was stored at Maydon Wharf and later transferred to FSL in Silverton in early December 2021, after a lapse period.

“that, 000 kilogram seizure was submitted to FSL subsequent to the break-in at Port Shepstone, so it was early in December of 2021”