Madlanga Commission challenges Lebeya over Molefe operation, alleged cartel figures
Former Hawks head Lieutenant-General Godfrey Lebeya has come under intense questioning at the Madlanga Commission over his decision to deploy Hawks officers to the home of alleged Big Five Cartel member Katiso 'KT' Molefe during a police takedown operation.
Lebeya has defended his actions, saying he believed there were people at Molefe’s Sandton home impersonating Hawks officers after receiving information from Malcolm X, whom he described as a police informant.
The Commission, however, questioned whether the Hawks officers sent to the scene subsequently interfered with a legitimate police operation.
“In my book, Dr Lebeya, that is interference with a lawful police operation,” Commissioner Sandile Khumalo told him.
Lebeya has since concluded his testimony before the Commission, after several days of questioning over the December 2024 operation, his relationship with Malcolm X and his knowledge of people who have featured prominently in evidence about alleged organised crime.
MALCOLM X'S WARNING TO LEBEYA
The events centre on 6 December 2024, when police were carrying out a takedown operation at Molefe’s home in Sandton.
Lebeya told the Commission that he did not know Molefe and had not been contacted by him.
Instead, he said, he received a call from Malcolm X, whom he described as a police informant.
“I was contacted by Malcolm X, who indicated to me that there are people at an address in Sandton who are claiming to be Hawks members,” Lebeya told the Commission.
According to Lebeya, X said the people at the address were claiming to be Hawks officials acting on his instructions.
He said X told him he had received information about the operation from a friend, but did not disclose the person's identity.
Lebeya also said X did not tell him that he was at the scene.
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He testified that he had no reason to doubt X’s information at the time and genuinely believed that the people at Molefe’s home could be imposters posing as Hawks officials.
X subsequently sent Lebeya Molefe’s address.
The two spoke for about 27 seconds, with Lebeya saying he could not recall exactly what they discussed but believed he was confirming receipt of the address.
Lebeya then directed senior Hawks managers to deal with the situation.
The Commission, however, questioned what happened after the Hawks officers arrived at Molefe’s home.
Commissioner Sandile Khumalo put it to Lebeya that there was enough information available to establish that the officers already at the house were legitimate police officers.
Khumalo questioned why the officers sent to the scene remained there for about 40 to 50 minutes after the operation had been established as legitimate.
He said that once they had verified the operation was genuine, the officers should have left.
Khumalo also questioned their demands to see J50 warrants and their attempts to gain access to the premises.
“In my book, Dr Lebeya, that is interference with a lawful police operation,” Khumalo said.
Lebeya maintained that the matter had been left to senior managers at an operational level.
He said he had directed senior management to establish whether the people at the house were legitimate police officers and that how they dealt with the situation operationally was their responsibility.
Lebeya accepted that once the officers were satisfied that the operation was legitimate, they should have left.
He said they ultimately did leave the scene.
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