organised crime

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News

Madlanga Commission | Lebeya denies Big Five Cartel links

Former Directorate For Priority Crime Investigations (DPCI/Hawks) head, Dr Godfrey Lebeya, has distanced himself from an alleged organised crime network known as the Big Five Cartel. Testifying before the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry on Wednesday, Lebeya said he was unaware of the alleged syndicate or its purported members until the matter was raised during the proceedings. He maintained that he does not know, and has never met, alleged underworld kingpin, […]

todaySeptember 2, 2026 116

News

Madlanga Commission | Katiso Molefe moved drug operations to Mswazi’s farm, claims Sibanyoni

Taxi empire operator, Joe "Ferrari" Sibanyoni, says alleged underworld kingpin, Katiso "KT" Molefe, moved his alleged drug-dealing operations to the farm of late taxi boss, Jothan "King Mswazi" Msibi in Hammanskraal. Sibanyoni testified before the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry on Friday, saying he became aware of the alleged move between 2021 and 2022, based on information he received from other individuals. He also testified that he was introduced to controversial […]

todayAugust 28, 2026 162

News

Crime stats have improved, but bloodshed persists, says Cachalia

Acting police minister, Firoz Cachalia, says while the decreases in crime stats are encouraging, they do not erase the reality that too many South Africans continue to lose their lives to violent crime. Cachalia released the first-quarter crime statistics today, which he says confirm that crime is highly concentrated. Murder cases fell by 5.9% compared to the same quarter last year, while robbery with aggravating circumstances went down by 14.7%. […]

todayAugust 28, 2026 30

News

Madlanga Commission | Chats reveal alleged illegal deals using SAPS brand

The Madlanga Commission on Tuesday turned its focus to WhatsApp messages that allegedly suggest that detained South African Police Service (SAPS), Sergeant Fannie Nkosi and the late taxi boss Jothan "Mswazi" Msibi, were attempting to sell "grabber technology" to eSwatini. The messages, exchanged between Msibi, Nkosi and a cellphone expert known to the commission as Shaun Jacobs, were presented as evidence during the proceedings. The technology was allegedly being sourced […]

todayAugust 18, 2026 83

News

Madlanga Commission | Explosive call captures slain alleged drug lord confronting rival

The Madlanga Commission of Inquiry has heard an explosive phone call between slain alleged drug lord and tow-truck operator, Bevin Loftus, and his alleged rival, panel-beating and tow-truck businessman, Clive Naicker. The recording was played during testimony by Loftus’s father, Gregory, who believes his son was killed by a Hawks task team allegedly acting on Naicker’s instructions. In the recording, Bevin is heard accusing Naicker of putting up R2.5 million […]

todayAugust 13, 2026 153

News

Madlanga Commission | IPID official flags alleged targeted extrajudicial killings in KZN

KwaZulu-Natal Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) Investigations Deputy Director, Len John, revealed on Wednesday that SAPS task team members have, in some cases, allegedly killed civilians and then unlawfully linked them to cash-in-transit heists to close dockets related to those crimes. Testifying before the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry, John alleged that unsuspecting civillians, mostly in informal settlements, were targeted in operations that were often carried out prematurely and without sufficient […]

todayAugust 12, 2026 48

News

Government moves to criminalise illegal mining as concerns mount

The Justice Department has moved to criminalise illegal mining as authorities grapple with a surge in mining-related deaths, violent crime and organised criminal syndicates. Justice Minister, Mmamoloko Kubayi, announced on Tuesday that the General Mining Laws Amendment Bill will introduce a specific criminal offence for illegal mining and impose heavier penalties for offences linked to the illicit mining trade. "While illicit mining is prohibited, illicit mining and the activities related […]

todayAugust 11, 2026 56

News

Defence asks court to reject key witness’s evidence in Matlala attempted murder trial

The defence in the attempted murder trial of alleged underworld kingpin, Vusimuzi "Cat" Matlala, has urged the Johannesburg High Court to reject the evidence of the State's first witness, arguing that his testimony is riddled with contradictions and unsupported by forensic evidence. The application came after security guard, Bethwell Cele, concluded three days of testimony and cross-examination by lawyers representing all five accused. Matlala and his four co-accused, including his […]

todayJuly 23, 2026 68

News

Defence challenges State witness’s account in Matlala trial

The defence in the attempted murder trial of alleged underworld kingpin, Vusimuzi "Cat" Matlala, spent Wednesday systematically challenging the credibility of the State's first witness, questioning everything from the layout of the crime scene to whether he may have accidentally shot the alleged victim himself. Proceedings in the Johannesburg High Court centred on the testimony of security guard, Bethwell Cele, who was on duty when taxi boss, Joe "Ferrari" Sibanyoni, […]

todayJuly 22, 2026 51 2