Hawks Lieutenant-Colonel Nkoana Sebola testified before the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry regarding the 2021 drug bust in Aeroton.
Image: Oupa Mokoena/Independent Newspapers
Hawks Lieutenant-Colonel Nkoana Sebola told the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry on Thursday that he received a “strange” call from Brigadier Richard Shibiri, who allegedly suggested that the suspects - linked to the more than 700kg of cocaine worth R300 million seized in Aeroton in July 2021 - must be set free.
Sebola’s testimony comes amid allegations of police interference in the investigation regarding drugs seized from Scania South Africa in Aeroton, south of Johannesburg.
The drug bust involved a Yellow Jersey Logistics truck that arrived to deliver legitimate cargo from Durban Harbour to Scania South Africa, with bags of cocaine smuggled inside.
The arrested suspects included three officers, Warrant Officer Steve Phakula (SAPS National Intervention Unit officer), Warrant Officer Marumo Magane (commander of the Crime Information Management and Analysis Centre at the SAPS Zonkizwe police station), Gauteng traffic officer Samuel Mashaba and Mashaba’s informant Tumelo Nku.
Nku reportedly told Mashaba about the alleged drug smuggling in the truck. Mashaba then contacted Magane to assist with the bust, and Magane called Phakula to help manage the scene.
They were arrested after Booysens officers were dispatched to the scene following a 10111 call from Scania South Africa employees in Aeroton, who reported a bogus police hijacking of a truck.
Sebola said the suspects, who allegedly tampered with the crime scene, were arrested for defeating the ends of justice and dealing in drugs.
He testified that while the suspects were under arrest Shibiri phoned him and allegedly asked whether there was an “amicable solution” to the situation.
He told the commission he knew Shibiri was linked to the serious organised crime unit and interpreted the message as meaning he should not make the arrests.
However, Sebola said he insisted that the officers and the informant remain under arrest.
Sebola later told Gauteng Crime Intelligence head Ebrahim Kadwa about the strange call.
Kadwa, who was also at the crime scene, said he received a similar call, but with a different message that said “arrest them”.
Sebola told the commission that when he arrived, Magane’s black Nissan bakkie was already loaded with bags of cocaine, and the scene had already been contaminated.
He said he was told the bakkie had been blocked to prevent Magane from driving away.
At the scene, Sebola interviewed several people, including the suspects. They testified that a black Nissan bakkie had been leaving and was blocked by a marked police bakkie.
“I approached the driver of the black Nissan bakkie who was seated in that bakkie and identified myself to him and he identified himself as Warrant Officer Magane. I asked him what he was trying to do and he said he was going to the Zonkesizwe police station where he works,” he said.
Sebola said Magane told him he was taking the bags of cocaine back to Roodekop, where the truck had come from.
“After all the introduction, I started with Officer Magane, who alleged that he got information from his informant. He followed up on the information together with traffic officer Mashaba and later on he requested Warrant Officer Phakula who is based in Pretoria to come and assist. I asked him if he tried to get back from his own station since he is stationed at Zonkesizwe SAPS and his answer was he did not think of contacting his own station,” he said.
During his testimony this week, Magane said he did not call anyone from his police station for assistance because they had only one vehicle and could not help.
He also testified that bags of suspected cocaine fell out of the container when it was opened. He admitted to photographing the contents inside the truck and said he failed to follow crime scene management protocol.
Contrary to Phakula’s evidence that Crime Intelligence officer Major-General Feroz Khan was present at the scene, Sebola said he did not see Khan there but did see Kadwa. Phakula told the commission that after his release on bail, Khan suggested they meet. During their encounter, Khan appeared to sympathise with him.
"Major General Khan asked me who the drugs belonged to, and I told him that people say they belong to him and he laughed," he said.
Phakula told the commission that the allegations that the drugs belonged to Khan stemmed from corridor talk among the police.
Sebola’s testimony continues.
rapula.moatshe@inl.co.za