Madlanga Commission: Ballistic expert says evidence suggests specific firearms linked to multiple criminal cases

A ballistic expert has told the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry that evidence suggests that specific firearms have been linked to multiple criminal cases.

Brigadier Julius Mkhabela, the head of ballistics at the South African Police Service (SAPS), testified at the commission on Monday.

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He’s revealed that firearms connected to the murder of Vereeniging engineer Armand Swart have also been linked to more than 20 other cases, including the murders of DJ Sumbody and DJ Vintos.

Swart was killed in 2024 in a case of mistaken identity, shortly after his company exposed how a firm linked to Katiso "KT" Molefe’ nephew, Lucky Molefe, secured a Transnet tender through corrupt means.

During his testimony, Mkhabela emphasised that it was often the case that specific firearms were linked to numerous criminal investigations.

"We have seen that with taxi violence, CIT [cash-in-transit] heists, Inkabi, and gangs – you will find that there is one firearm terrorising an entire community. You will see one firearm that has generated multiple hits but is not recovered."

The Madlanga Commission of Inquiry continues on Tuesday morning, with a witness scheduled to testify in secret.