Referred to as: Tumelo · Tumza · Mr Nku
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There are images in Tumelo's gallery depicting the white truck cap where drugs were placed, though the drugs are not visually present in these images.
“There is pictures in Tumelo's gallery where you see the truck cap, the white truck cap, though there are no drugs there, but he has those images. So it shows to want to say this is where they are placing those drugs.”
There were two WhatsApp chats on the site first page with initials E-by and I-by referring to different persons, with 'I-by' being Tumelo.
“There was two WhatsApp chats on the site on the first page. I think it is the first screenshot. It was written as E-b-y. But if you check the WhatsApp conversation of Tumelo and it is I-b-y. So this person who is calling I-by as E-by, it is another person, it is not Tumelo. But he knows Alpha.”
Messages saved as E-by (another person) were forwarded to Tumelo who saved them as I-by; these were not original Tumelo conversations but involved communications about Tumelo and Mashaba.
“It was somebody else talking about Tumelo and Mashaba. Hence, this person saved as E-by. Tumelo saved as I-by. These were screenshots but now on Tumelo's phone, they were forwarded by this person who took the screenshots.”
Chief Mashaba characterizes the rift or distraction involving Mr. Tumelo in 2019 as related to ANC issues and a rally, acknowledging Tumelo as an ANC person.
“Like I am saying , 2019 . Like I am saying , I know if it is something to do with rallies, it is ANC things . So I cannot remember 2019 , what was happening or what was the rally all about or which rally was this .”
Chief Mashaba states he did not get inside the airport terminal during operations and his role was to introduce the team to people working there, not to participate in arrests or other official police functions.
“I did not get into the airport and dig into what was happening. Because I found the guys that are working there, I went with Tumelo to introduce to them. That necessary does not mean I went inside airport, inside the in-airport.”
On 2021-10-28, NSIT members interviewed a former called Tumelo (Mr. Nku), who had provided complainant Mashaba with information about drugs.
“On 2021-10-28, NSIT members interviewed the former, Tumelo, who gave the complainant Mashaba information about the drugs”
A former named Tumelo MR Nku had indicated he gave information to a certain General (name not disclosed) whom IPID never verified, so Tumelo is regarded as an informer but without verified information about his role beyond that.
“I am stating this because that is the information that he gave us. However, the information was not verified because he mentioned the handler as a certain General who already passed on. So that is the information that was never verified”
Members of the DPCI arrived and arrested police officers involved in the drug bust, charging them with dealing and possession/use of drugs.
“Members of DPCI , amongst others , General Kadwa , Brigadier Sekgobela , Colonel Steyn , Captain Sebula , arrived at the crime scene , and they arrested the police officer who made the drug bust . That is Warrant Officer Magane , Warrant Officer Phakula , Chief Mashaba , and Tumelo . They were charged with dealing in drugs and possession of drugs / use of drugs .”
Mashaba told the investigating team they were following up on drug information from Brazil to Scania, and mentioned a person named Tumelo who was later interviewed.
“they were just telling us that they were following up upon information about the drugs from Brazil to Scania... So we asked for the contact details of Tumelo so that we can interview Tumelo, hence, we interviewed Tumelo at a later stage”
Tumelo was not initially part of the complainants but was interviewed later.
“when they came to IPID, it was only three of them. Tumelo was not part of them. So we asked for the contact details of Tumelo so that we can interview Tumelo, hence, we interviewed Tumelo at a later stage”
The information about drugs was linked to hacking or cybercrime activities but no concrete evidence or records of hacking were provided.
“The information... he was talking about isssues of hacking and something like that ... Cyber crime hacking... He was talking about hacking in order for him to get this kind of information about the illegal transportation of things ... But he was not giving us anything to work on ... No, he did not have anything ... We asked for the record, but he did not have anything ...”
Tumelo claimed to be an informer giving information to a late General but was not a registered informer with an official handler.
“he kept on telling us that he is an informer of that, the late General that he was giving the information to the late general ... My sense was that he was not a registered informer, because if he was a registered informer, he was going to tell us about the handler, the General who passed away ... So from my understanding, he was not a registered informer”
Assistant Director Maphoso suggests that the arrested officers might know more than they claim at the moment because they were arrested; he names Mashaba and Tumelo as people who possibly know more.
“If the Hawks may be dealt with the scene not the way they dealt with, to maybe the statement of those people, I do not know whether they know more than they are saying at the moment because they were arrested ... Which people do you say may be know more? Mashaba and Tumelo.”