Madlanga Commission | SAPS forensic analyst links lab failures to staff shortages, time pressure

South African Police Services (SAPS) senior forensic analyst, Laurance Makgotloe, has told the Madlanga Commission that severe time constraints and staff shortages at the Silverton Ballistics Laboratory are compromising the quality of forensic work.

Makgotloe testified on Monday as the commission examined the causes of delays and errors in ballistic reports handled by the laboratory.

One of the cases under scrutiny is the April 2024 murder of Vereeniging engineer Armand Swart, whose ballistic report was allegedly riddled with typing errors, unexplained amendments, and delays in its release.

Swart was gunned down in a case of mistaken identity shortly after a whistleblower exposed alleged financial irregularities at Transnet.

Makgotloe told the commission that each case allocated to a forensic expert comes with a rigid time frame for completion leaving little room for thorough analysis.

He said limited staffing levels and an overwhelming workload force analysts to prioritise speed over accuracy.

He warned that errors would continue unless staffing shortages and unrealistic deadlines are addressed, stressing that mistakes are not intentional and should not be viewed as gross negligence or a reflection of incompetence.

Makgotloe insisted there were initially no errors in the ballistic report linked to Swart’s murder.

He told the commission that Witness B — one of the investigating officers — later claimed to have identified errors in June last year, which Makgotloe said was an attempt to draw his attention to the case.

He criticised Witness B for repeatedly seeking his assistance while he was off duty, including visiting his home to push for alleged amendments.

The SAPS captain told the commission he was misled into believing he had made serious mistakes, claiming the word “error” was deliberately used to pressure him into involvement.

Makgotloe explained that genuine corrections were only made after the report had been finalised and subjected to procedural review — a process he said occurs in roughly about 80 percent of cases handled by the laboratory.

He added that an error in the recording of the case number should have been detected during the review process.

Makgotloe further testified that he feared for his life after being confronted by Witness B and five armed individuals who arrived in a black Mercedes V-Class to question him about the Swart ballistic report.

He told the commission he did not know who the men were and was alarmed by their line of questioning.

The group allegedly interrogated him about the status of the ballistic reports, the location of case dockets, and the next steps once reports were finalised.

Meanwhile, controversial businessman Katiso “KT” Molefe, is suspected of being the mastermind behind the hit.

Reports indicate that Molefe allegedly hired former warrant officer, Pule Tau, as one of the hitmen. Firearms linked to the murder were later seized during a search-and-seizure operation in Bramley, days after Swart was killed.

Makgotloe also revealed that the Silverton laboratory is introducing a new LabWare programme to reduce recurring errors.

He explained that the system — currently on trial — stores up to 14 versions of a statement each time amendments are made, regardless of how minor.

The programme is expected to be fully implemented from next month.

“It’s actually going to be in place either this month or next month because now we are using the trial of that LabWare. It has an option where we type a statement on the LabWare. When you type the statement every time, it keeps the original. You can have up to 14 of those statements. It records the errors.  We are trying by all means to minimize the errors to zero,” Makgotloe said.

He added that the system will help determine whether errors stem from the need for further training or system shortcomings.

The commission questioned why Makgotloe was promoted to captain despite errors recorded at the laboratory.

He defended the promotion, saying the post was advertised through standard procedures and that he was appointed after being shortlisted and successfully completing the interview process.

Written by: Odirile Rabalao