Madlanga Commission | Ballistics expert flags irregularities in Swart murder probe

 

Ballistics expert, Brigadier Mishak Mkhabela, has raised serious concerns about a possible breach of protocol at the Pretoria ballistics laboratory during investigations into the murder of Vereeniging engineer, Armand Swart.

Swart was gunned down in what investigators believe was a botched hit, allegedly orchestrated by businessman Katiso “KT” Molefe, in a case of mistaken identity after an employee at Q-Tech flagged irregularities at Transnet.

Molefe is believed to be one of South Africa’s most influential underworld figures, with alleged links to senior police officials accused of interfering in investigations.

Testifying before the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry, Mkhabela dismissed detectives’ claims that a Captain Mokgotlwe had prior knowledge of weapons linked to some of the country’s most dangerous cartel bosses. He said such information could not have been available before being processed through the Integrated Ballistic Identification System (IBIS).

The commission heard that Mokgotlwe allegedly told investigators in August 2024 that three weapons seized in Bramley — linked to suspect Musa Kekana — were connected to 24 other crimes. Kekana is charged alongside former warrant officer Micheal Pule Tau and Tiego Floyd Mabusela in the April 2024 assassination of Swart.

Brigadier Mkhabela said the information Mokgotlwe claimed to have could only be released by IBIS analysts — who only accessed the relevant data in September 2025.

“He could not have told them. Even if he did he could not have known because we now know that the specimens were acquired in September and they were viewed around 2025 and only linked with other cases now in September. So when the discussions happened between him and the detectives, there was no way he would know because it was not at IBIS at the time so he could not have known that these firearms are linked to so many other cases,” he said.

He emphasised that no other police branch besides IBIS has the authority to release such information.

Mkhabela also expressed concern over a four-month delay in the delivery of bullets recovered during Swart’s autopsy, calling it “highly irregular”.

He noted that such delays undermine investigations and put additional pressure on forensic teams when cases reach court.

Brigadier Mkhabela testified that his laboratory continues to operate under severe strain, using a system that costs R3.8 million annually to maintain but remains only partially functional.

He said the Pretoria lab currently has eight match-point stations, but only three are operational because of staff shortages.

“The incident happened on 17 April 2024. One would expect the autopsy and ballistic handover to follow within days, but the bullet only reached the lab on 12 August — nearly four months later,” he said.

Each analyst, Mkhabela added, spends at least eight hours a day examining ballistic images, and despite their dedication, the workload is overwhelming.

He revealed that 108,000 cases are still awaiting IBIS analysis nationwide — with the Pretoria laboratory responsible for about 38,000 of them.

“Our Pretoria head office services six provinces — Mpumalanga, Limpopo, North West, Northern Cape, Free State, and Gauteng. As of 11 October 2025, we have nearly 29,000 cases pending, including over 6,000 from 2023 and nearly 12,000 from 2024,” said Mkhabela.

He warned that without additional analysts, resources, and properly functioning equipment, delays in criminal investigations will persist, undermining the timely delivery of justice.

The commission is expected to resume proceedings on Tuesday.

Written by: Odirile Rabalao