Madlanga Commission: PKTT member puzzled by number of Hawks officers who disrupted Molefe ‘take-down operation’

A member of the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT) has told the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry that he was puzzled by the number of Hawks officers who disrupted the "take-down operation" of alleged crime boss Katiso "KT" Molefe.

During his testimony at the commission on Wednesday morning, Captain Maxwell Wanda revealed he was among the officers who raided Molefe’s home in December 2024.

ALSO READ:

- Rifle and ammo found at Katiso Molefe's home on day of his arrest, Madlanga Commission told

- Ballistic evidence in murder of Armand Swart was mishandled, Madlanga Commission hears

- Madlanga Inquiry to focus on Katiso Molefe, his alleged role in murders of DJ Sumbody, Armand Swart

The raid was in connection with the murder of engineer Armand Swart.

Swart was killed after his company blew the whistle on a corrupt Transnet tender linked to Molefe’s nephew.

On 6 December 2024, the PKTT was at the home of Molefe, where they arrested him and searched his home.

A few moments later, members of the task team were taken aback when a group of what Wanda said were "very aggressive" Hawks officers interrupted their operation.

Wanda said the Hawks were under the impression that task team officers were fake and not a legitimate police unit.

"I did not expect the presence of the Hawks during that operation. The presence of the Hawks was concerning to me because they came in numbers."

He said a helicopter then hovered over Molefe’s house shortly after the Hawks officers arrived.

It has been alleged that former Hawks head Godfrey Lebeya was the one who sent the Hawks to disrupt the task team’s operation.