Any assistance B R I G A D I E R N K H W A S H U gave to Fundiswa or her husband, including lending a vehicle, helping deliver clothes to her husband in prison, or meeting with Katiso, was done out of customary duty and family bond.
“Any assistance I gave to her or her husband must be understood in that light. Further to this, Fundiswa's entire family passed on . . . I lent her a vehicle, helped her deliver clothes to her husband in prison or meeting with Katiso”
Brigadier Nkhwashu met with Katiso towards the end of June 2024 after Fundiswa requested a meeting.
“My meetings with Katiso started towards the end of June 2024... Fundiswa gave me a call and requested a meeting with me and we made arrangements to meet and we finally met in Alberton in a restaurant.”
B R I G A D I E R N K H W A S H UDay 95 · 22 Apr 2026Refers to: June 2024Location: Alberton
Fundiswa was unhappy that Brigadier Nkhwashu had never met her husband Katiso because of loyalty to Sazi and because he was angry at her marrying a married man.
“Fundiswa stated that she is not happy that I had never met her husband Katiso as she has a relationship with me and she would like me to meet her husband and I had my personal reasons, among others being my loyalty to Sazi, and the earlier reasons that I stated that I was angry for her to go marry a married man”
The meeting arranged between Brigadier Nkhwashu and Katiso in Alberton at the end of June 2024 was arranged by Fundiswa to facilitate introduction.
“Indeed, a meeting was arranged between Katiso and myself... It was arranged by Fundiswa, because she has the one who requested me to meet the husband and telling me that the husband wanted to meet me also... Fundiswa was there to introduce the husband...”
B R I G A D I E R N K H W A S H UDay 95 · 22 Apr 2026Refers to: End of June 2024Location: Alberton
Brigadier Nkhwashu and Katiso discussed general personal circumstances and Katiso mentioned involvement in various business interests including security sector, and suggested potential employment after Brigadier's retirement from SAPS.
“When I met Katiso, we conversed generally about our respective personal circumstances... He mentioned that he was involved in various business interests, including the security sector... He indicated that I was approaching retirement from the SAPS... he will want security forces to come and work there, so should I be interested when I retire I can just go into work with him in that space with my experience as a police officer... I accepted and then I said no, I will be interested, but we will talk, because there are processes to undergo.”
B R I G A D I E R N K H W A S H UDay 95 · 22 Apr 2026Refers to: End of June 2024
Meeting in Alberton attended by four people: Brigadier Nkhwashu, Fundiswa, Brigadier's 17-year-old nephew, and Fundiswa's husband Katiso, who was introduced then Fundiswa left them alone.
“In that meeting it was the only four of us and Fundiswa came with my nephew and then she introduced us and then after introducing us she left us, she left the two of us to talk man to man.”
Brigadier Nkhwashu was approached at the meeting end about a friend of Katiso who had been arrested and needed to know if state would oppose bail; Brigadier refused to discuss work related cases with Katiso.
“Katiso who I am now knowing as my brother-in-law, now calling him Boet K, he told me that a friend of his had been arrested and he needed to know if the state will oppose bail as he wanted to pay the bail money for his friend... I just stopped him and say 'Swear, me I do not talk work related cases with anyone, not even my wife... '”
Brigadier Nkhwashu denied discussing the arrested friend case with Katiso as it involved his own case and he considered it improper to talk about it.
“I was not thinking of anything big, but I was just thinking that... if you are coming to talk about the case that I am involved... where your friend was arrested and was arrested by me and you need some bail, I do not talk about that.”
Brigadier Nkhwashu made a connection that the bail application discussed was related to Michael Pule Tau, due to a request involving his brother-in-law Katiso seeking assistance with the bail of a friend.
“As the conversation went on, it triggered my mind that they are talking about the case that my brother-in-law, Katiso, was intending to lure me to assist him in the bail of this particular person ... this Pule Tau was going for bail application ... I put the puzzle together that this is where Katiso was coming to”
Brigadier Nkhwashu acknowledges he mentioned his conversation with Katiso to Tshukudu in a social gathering, emphasizing it was a general comment and he does not discuss work with strangers.
“I acknowledge that I mentioned my conversation with Katiso to Tshukudu in a social gathering ... I do not discuss work with people that I do not know ... The person that I have just met now then is talking about cases and that is unethical for me ... I dismissed him”
On 6 December 2024, Brigadier Nkhwashu learned from Fundiswa that Katiso had been arrested but did not know the charges; Katiso appeared in court on 9 December 2024.
“On 6 December 2024, I learned from Fundiswa that Katiso had been arrested ... On 9 December 2024, Katiso appeared in Vereeniging Magistrate Court”
The visitor was unable to see Mr Molefe personally but was allowed to deliver clothing which would be handed over to him later.
“he told me that it is late after hours and that he could not accept my food delivery to Katiso and he will not allow me to see Katiso but he will take the clothing and hand it over to Katiso”
The Ford Raptor vehicle registered in Brigadier Nkwashu's name was driven by Fundiswa, Katiso's girlfriend, on 5 March 2025 outside the Vereeniging Magistrate Court and was lawfully acquired from Nkwashu's eldest daughter who paid for it through Nkwashu, the registered owner.
“The Ford Raptor vehicle was indeed my private vehicle that was driven by Fundiswa on that day . And I purchased this particular vehicle lawfully from my eldest daughter , who was paying for it through me , since I am the registered owner of this particular vehicle.”
BRIGADIER NKWASHUDay 95 · 22 Apr 2026Refers to: 5 March 2025Location: Vereeniging Magistrate Court
Brigadier Nkhwashu acknowledges the puzzle of how Michael Pule Tau, a friend of Mr Molefe and involved in the Armand Swart case, was arrested and why his name came up in discussions relating to bail and job opportunities.
“This friend of mine... happened to be Michael Pule Tau... arrested with Katiso... really agree with you the way you perceive it.”
Brigadier Nkwashu and Fundiswa also met with Katiso at Fundiswa's house in Fourways before Katiso's arrest; during which Brigadier Nkwashu conveyed to Fundiswa concerns about being sold out when she asked why he was asked to meet Fundiswa's husband.
“After that meeting where we parted ways, after I said I do not discuss work cases, I believe we have met with Katiso before his arrest. And that could not be correct that I met him once. ... We met at their house in Fourways, which is Fundiswa's house. And also in that weekend, Fundiswa visited with his nephew, and then we met, we sit and dine, and then I asked Fundiswa separately ...”
Brigadier Nkwashu states that Katiso assured him it would not be possible to put him under the bus or to sell him out and that he had missed Fundiswa for quite some time and continued to take care of her needs.
“No, no, no, that cannot be the case. I would not have wanted you to meet my husband, and at the same time set you under the bus, me and you having missed each other for so long. ... I do not believe I did not know what you say you discussed with Katiso. ... I will say, yes, I forgive.”
Brigadier Nkwashu initially thought the security job offer from Katiso was a genuine attempt to close matters, but had suspicions it might be a lure.
“by him wanting to pursue me to carry on with the deal of these security, he was trying to be a good man and trying to close... But I never suspected that this is a luring, although it crossed my mind.”
Brigadier Nkwashu learned of Katiso's arrest from Ms Nyangule but was not told the charges initially; eventually he was told Katiso was charged with conspiracy to murder related to Pule Tau's murder.
“When she was telling me that Katiso is arrested... I did not know what he was charged with... your brother-in-law was arrested, he is being charged for conspiracy to murder... This one of Pule Tau.”
Brigadier Nkwashu wanted to see Katiso in person to know for himself what he was arrested for and insist on the truth about the charges.
“I wanted Katiso himself to tell me in my eyes, what is he arrested for... I wanted to go look at him in the eyes, and he told me that I did not... He still denied.”
Fundiswa called Brigadier Nkhwashu in February to accompany her to see Katiso, and Nkhwashu's explanation for the second prison visit was seen as unsatisfactory given Molefe's serious criminal charges.
“Fundiswa called you and said, I am coming up ... I am going to see Katiso, so please pick me up and go with me ... why did you not remain in the car ... you are a senior police officer ... Why are you associating with someone accused of such serious crimes?”
Brigadier Nkwashu apologised to the community for his conduct involving collusion with a person named Katiso whom he did not know well and stated he will no longer engage with Katiso.
“I would like to apologise to the entire community that is watching this embarrassment that is caused by my conduct, by colluding with this Katiso, although I did not know he is this type of a person. And I really feel betrayed and I am definitely, definitely not going to continue having any engagement with this particular guy. And I wish justice would prevail.”