Gauteng

Mr Adams indicated he had opened dockets in Orlando, which falls under Gauteng, prompting letters to be sent both to General Khumalo and to Lieutenant General Senthumule to facilitate dockets' receipt.

“Adam had indicated he had opened dockets in Orlando, Chair. That falls under Gauteng, so we had to write to the Commissioner ... General Senthumule as the national custodian of the dockets, and General Senthumule facilitated the receipt of those dockets”

A letter to General Khumalo was because Adam indicated he had opened dockets in Orlando, which falls under Gauteng, thus requiring writing to the Provincial Head.

“When the letter was written to General Khumalo, it was because Adams had indicated he had opened dockets in Orlando, Chair. That falls under Gauteng, so we had to write to the Commissioner”

Mr Adams alleged interception of dockets and implicated senior officers for interfering in the investigative process without notifying Gauteng authorities.

“The serious allegations implicating senior officers are contained there ... Then he implicates senior officers because he then says they interfered in the investigative process and he was not notified that Gauteng is following the same process.”

The dockets were no longer in Cape Town but were opened in Gauteng, requiring engagement with detectives in Gauteng and formal letter requests to Major General Khumalo.

“in Cape Town, these dockets were no longer there ... he opened dockets in Gauteng ... we engage then with detectives in Gauteng ... write a letter to the Head of the detectives in Gauteng, who was Major General Khumalo. It is a formal approach in terms of acquiring those dockets.”

There was serious correspondence dated 1 November 2024 addressed to the Minister containing allegations that case dockets were intercepted, implicating senior police officers who interfered in the investigative process without notification to Gauteng.

“That email of 1 November 2024 at A21, that is the correspondence addressed to the Minister ... Then he implicates senior officers because he then says they interfered in the investigative process and he was not notified that Gauteng is following the same process. And the request to the Minister is: “I urgently and humbly ask the Minister to intervene to ensure the integrity of the investigative process is maintained.””

IDAC sought involvement in matters involving syndicates in Gauteng which General Mkhwanazi testified about.

“Mkhwanazi also testified, that is General Mkhwanazi, also testified IDAC sought to get involved in matters involving syndicates in Gauteng.”

The dockets related to the allegations in Gauteng are duplicates of those opened in Cape Town, with no explanation for opening second set of dockets in another province on the same allegations.

“The three dockets that were opened in Gauteng are merely a duplication of the three dockets that were opened in Cape Town. No explanation is provided regarding the opening of these second set of dockets on the same allegations but in another province.”

There were about six or seven dockets in the Mokwele matter related complaints, but they were essentially duplicates describing the same case, reduced to four different complaints for investigation, with one already investigated by DPCI; IDAC did not interfere with that docket and took the remaining dockets for investigation.

“When you look at it , you know , the Cape Town dockets and the dockets that were opened here in Gauteng , it is about basically one and the same thing ... it is like duplicated ... I narrowed it down to four different complaints . One of those dockets ... was already being investigated by , I think it is DPCI ... It had to do with something that was purchased . They were busy with that . So that docket there , the actual docket that was opened , we did not interfere with that docket . We took the remaining dockets and , ja , we conducted investigations from there .”

The only reason to wait for the new NDPP to appoint a prosecutor was to get someone from outside the Gauteng province who did not know Advocate Johnson well to assist with the prosecution.

“The only way and the only reason we waited for the new NDPP, is to get us someone that is not in this province, that does not know Advocate Johnson or did not work with her much, to assist us with this prosecution.”

Illegal cigarettes are sold in nearly half of shops in hotspot provinces Free State, Gauteng, and Western Cape according to Ipsos market research report.

“Illegal cigarettes are on sale in nearly half, 41% of all shops in the hotspot provinces of Free State, Gauteng and Western Cap”

The truck had not yet arrived but was already in the Gauteng area and was expected to arrive early to potentially meet the owners at the depot before 6:30 AM.

“the truck had not arrived, but yet it was not far off. It was already in the Gauteng area... the reason why I maintained to Chief Mashabatha that we need to be there by 6.30, was a high possibility of obviously the owners coming through.”

Based on device movement, Philipp Plein aka Tumelo Nku was back in Gauteng from 2021-05-23 after the suspected retrieval of container contents in Durban.

“The movement of Tumelo Nku through these devices indicated that he was back in Gauteng from the 2021-5-23 .”

Tumelo Nku was in KwaZulu-Natal from 2021-07-07 and left Gauteng the same day according to cell tower data on both his cell numbers.

“Tumelo was in the vicinity of KwaZulu-Natal from 2021-07-07 as he left Gauteng on the same day, according to cell phone towers active on both his cell phone numbers.”

The container referred to was still at the port in Durban on 2021-07-07 and was released and transported on 2021-07-08, the date Tumelo Nku traveled back to Gauteng from KwaZulu-Natal as confirmed by Transnet logos.

“The container was still at the port in Durban on 2021-07-07 and it was released and transported on 2021-07-08. We got this information from those pictures that had Transnet logos... It was released on the 8th, which is the date Tumelo Nku travelled back to Gauteng from KwaZulu-Natal.”

Cell phone data shows Tumelo Nku's movements on 2021-07-07 from Krugersdorp to Durban and on 2021-07-08 from Durban to Gauteng, indicating he was monitoring the container's movement.

“On map dated 2021-07-07 with yellow tower icons, it is when Tumelo Nku was moving from Gauteng to Durban. The icons start from Krugersdorp which is where Tumelo Nku is residing, and later was in the vicinity of Durban... 2021-7-08 is the date Tumelo Nku travelled back to Gauteng from KwaZulu-Natal. This indicates that Tumelo Nku was monitoring the container from KwaZulu-Natal to Gauteng.”

Chief Mashaba states his jurisdiction as Gauteng province covering all Metros and Local Municipalities, not limited to the Sedibeng district where he is based.

“My jurisdiction is Gauteng. I am not like your JMPD that works within their boundary. I am not like Tshwane. I am not like Ekurhuleni. I am not like Emfuleni. I cover all the Metros and the Local Municipalities. That is my jurisdiction.”

Chief Mashaba acknowledges Sedibeng District is not the whole Gauteng province but just a municipality, while his jurisdiction is Gauteng.

“Yes, it is not a province. It is a municipality.”

WITNESS I went to the scene after a WhatsApp notification about 23 bags of drugs leaving Durban for Gauteng, sourced from inquiry handled by the Commission's office.

“The reason for me to go to the scene with my member was because my member received a WhatsApp notification the previous day, the Thursday night, that there is 23 bags of drugs leaving Durban coming to Gauteng. And my member, the source was informing him in respect of the inquiry dealt with by your office.”

There was an inquiry opened around August 2020 relating to dealing drugs (heroin, also known as Nyaope) involving Tanzanian nationals in South Africa, operating in Gauteng, Free State and KwaZulu-Natal, and also using Uber drivers for transporting drugs.

“it was around August 2020 when Sergeant Masoma opened an inquiry... This is a request to open an inquiry for further investigations. Here it is alleged that persons as mentioned in Annexure A committed the offence of dealing drugs, Heroin, also known as Nyaope ... There is a group of Tanzanian nationals who are currently residing in South Africa. They sell drugs, Nyaope, for personal gain and also own businesses around Gauteng, Free State, KwaZulu-Natal as a cover-up for their illegal dealings ... They rely on Uber drivers for transporting drugs ...”

Assistant Director Maposho accepted that assuming only one narcotic dog was available in Gauteng province was without sufficient factual basis, as Gauteng is a large area with multiple dog units.

“The assumption was now was without much basis though, because to think of just this one, I will try to pronounce dogs often. Gauteng and its environs is quite huge. It cannot be that you thought that this one dog was the only dog available. Surely not. ... Do you accept? I accept Commissioners.”

Witness I's SANEB team comprised about four to five members and operated territorially in Gauteng province.

“I think there were four to five members. It is Gauteng. The entire Gauteng? Yes.”

Mr Nku's cellphone movements were tracked through cellphone towers and corresponded with the truck's route from Durban to Gauteng on 7th and 8th July.

“This is what was checked. Mr Nku’s cell phone, through the cell phone towers, was tracked”

On 7th July, the yellow tracking data indicates Mr Nku was moving from Gauteng to Durban, with stops in the Free State, before returning to Gauteng on 8th July.

“the yellow on the 7th of July must be coming down from Gauteng to Durban ... And Telegram is a social media app similar to WhatsApp and others ... looking at the maroon, there is a lot of circling around the Free State on the 9th ... So I am assuming there is a truck stop somewhere in the Free State where they spent some time before they got into the Gauteng Province.”

Information from people at Scania indicated they were expecting three containers, but only one actually arrived at the premises to become an issue in this case.

“we get affidavits from people from Scania that were expecting three containers... only one came up to Gauteng to become an issue in this case”

FSL labs nationwide number at least four, including Gauteng, Western Cape, KZN Amanzimtoti and Gqeberha, with Amanzimtoti known to be overburdened and referring exhibits to Pretoria or Western Cape labs.

“Nationally, there should at least be four labs. Gauteng, Western Cape, KZN, Amanzimtoti and Gqeberha...when Amanzimtoti was inundated with exhibits and the workload was too much, they would then refer cases to either FS L Pretoria or also the Western Cape.”

On 22 April 2026, General Flynn conducted inspections and was informed about the 22 June 2021 drug seizure and other cases; he did not ask questions or seek clarity, and the investigating team later received new information implicating members in drug theft in Port Shepstone on 8 November 2021.

“On 22nd of April 2026, General Flynn was at my office conducting inspections on all our cases on hand... He did not bother to ask any pertinent questions or seek clarity on any issue regarding this matter... This led to an individual coming forward in early February 2026 who claimed to be involved in the planning and execution of the theft of drugs that occurred in Port Shepstone on 8 November 2021... The head of office investigation team was situated in Gauteng and would not have been in a position to immediately respond to this... I informed General Flynn of this new information...”

From 1 August 2016, Sebola was posted as a Captain in West Rand Gauteng as an investigator focusing on the South African Narcotic Enhancement Bureau (SANEB), later moved to Germiston unit with all SANEB members.

“So, in 2016-08-01, I got a post as a Captain in the West Rand in Gauteng as an investigator. That is when I started investigating the scene. Then, the group, SANEB, was then moved to Johannesburg unit, and I was focused on South African Narcotic Enhancement Bureau and within a short space of time, all SANEB members were moved to Germiston unit.”

There is only one main forensic laboratory in Pretoria in Gauteng, one in Cape Town, and the one in KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) was damaged by serious flood damage and thus not operational.

“In Gauteng , there is one lab in Pretoria . That is the main forensic lab . And I know there is one in Cape Town . There used to be one in KZN as well , but the one in KZN got damaged . It had serious , serious flood damage . So , exhibits at that time were no longer going there .”

The next witness must travel to Gauteng today and can only appear tomorrow morning due to travel arrangements already set.

“The next witness... is one who has to travel into Gauteng. And today is his travel date... can only be presented tomorrow at 09:30 in the morning.”

Synthetic drug kitchen labs are prevalent throughout South Africa, but superlabs mostly affect Gauteng, Limpopo, Northwest, and Mpumalanga provinces, likely due to a drier climate favorable for manufacturing.

“the kitchen labs are throughout... specific provinces... Gauteng, Limpopo, Northwest, and Mpumalanga to a large extent are mostly affected... it speaks to the climate, and a more drier climate than coastal provinces, which will make it easier for manufacturing purposes”

Between 2014 and 2024, Fundiswa was being chased around Gauteng for unknown reasons which prompted her to move to Durban, including an incident of house robbery which involved changes of residence.

“between 2014 and 2024 , much as I do not remember how many calls we had , I remember that there was a moment when she was being chased around when she was in Gauteng . Which is what I thought , that is what prompted her to move to Durban . Because there were people chasing her around for what we did not know . Because at some stages she was - there was a house robbery and I was called and she moved from Meadowlands to Roodepoort sometime and then she moved from Roodepoort to Fourways and during that time I was on the case of trying to assist in protecting her”

Commissioner Mkhwanazi claims that instructions for law enforcement operations have been ongoing since he was a constable, including periods of suspension and illness, and these operations have been executed closely with SAPS and other municipalities in Gauteng.

“It has been happening once I was still a constable, and it is happening. Even if when I was suspended, even if when I am sick due to COVID, such operations have been taking place... I lead the unit under instruction, and we executed work very closely with SAPS, work very closely with the other municipalities.”

Lieutenant-General Shibiri responded that members of the district informed him that he was the one blocking the bail for a suspect, and that some of those members came from his homeland as well as others from Limpopo.

“I am saying some members of the district informed me that there was a talk about me that I am the one who is blocking the bail and that time already he thanked the people for arranging bail as he requested and so forth. So, and I indicated that those members did not even want to tell me who is the person and the district in Gauteng they are six, not, if I am not mistaken and there are a lot of people coming from my homeland and others not far from where I am staying, working there and there is no where where me I am saying here in the transcript that is a district officer. I am saying somebody working from, people working from the district and then having interest in cases which are not even investigated by them.”