Telegram

There are gaps in the chat records between General Khan and 'our guy' (identified later as Fani), implying some communications about the tender occurred off the recorded platform via other means such as Signal, Telegram or phone calls.

“Commissioner Khumalo , we do not have a set of chats dealing with that exchange , but what we see here is there are gaps all over the place and it is obvious that the communications are not happening only on one platform .”

Three encrypted messaging applications - Threema, WhatsApp, and Telegram - were found on devices linked to the investigation and were used for communications related to the case.

“Encrypted messaging applications. I discovered the use of three encrypted messaging applications, Threema, WhatsApp, and Telegram...”

Chief Mashaba states he received GPS coordinates from Mr Nku via Telegram on 9 July 2021 to Yellow Jersey Logistics in Roodekop for an operation involving intercepting a truck.

“Samuel Mashaba received a location from Mr Nku through the Telegram of where they should go, and the coordinates are that of Yellow Jersey Logistics in Roodekop”

Communication between Chief Mashaba and Nku on 8 and 9 July 2021 took place via Telegram app, including messages conveying the need to go to a stated location.

“you and Nku were communicating via Telegram , and according to this report, he sent you the location at 25 minutes past 10 on the 8th . And then just after midnight , before your conversation in the morning , just after midnight , you then opened the message .”

Chief Mashaba and Nku switched communication from WhatsApp to Telegram at some point, but Chief Mashaba does not know why and does not even remember using Telegram.

“I do not even remember we used Telegram .”

Telegram is asserted by ADV Khumalo SC to be more secure than WhatsApp for communication with Nku, but Chief Mashaba states he does not know about the security differences.

“Telegram is more secure , and a third party cannot easily access your communication with Nku if it is on Telegram .”

Chief Mashaba downloaded Telegram app but says he had no specific reason to switch from WhatsApp other than preference, denying he recalls the reason for moving to Telegram.

“No specific reason per se . If I am in WhatsApp and say let us switch , it would mean we are giving WhatsApp a break . Let us go to Telegram .”

Chief Mashaba disputes the times of WhatsApp and Telegram messages sent to him on 8 July 2021 related to the operation, stating he does not remember and needs their authenticity verified.

“I am refusing the times...The authenticity of this also needs to be verified”

Chief Mashaba cannot recall whether Telegram or WhatsApp was used to send the location message from Mr Nkuo on 8 July 2021 night.

“Now that you are bringing Telegram, I cannot remember were Telegram or WhatsApp used...”

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.”

Telegram communications are sometimes encrypted, which complicates obtaining the actual chats or communications themselves.

“my understanding is this Telegram is sometimes encrypted”

The evidence from Telegram communications presented is a narrative summary rather than the actual chat extraction.

“what we have is what looks like a narrative of this person sent this at this time and what the body of the message sent and not the actual extraction of the picture or depiction of the actual application”