The key development is that the inquiry has shifted its attention to allegations of criminal infiltration within KwaZulu-Natal policing, including suspected extrajudicial killings by specialised task teams. The Commission heard that IPID examined 149 deaths involving SAPS task teams between April 2023 and May 2026, with 77 cases receiving particular attention from the witness.
Madlanga Commission Turns Spotlight on Alleged KZN Police Hit Squads
The Madlanga Commission of Inquiry is continuing its investigation into serious allegations surrounding specialised police units in KwaZulu-Natal, with the latest hearings focusing on claims of unlawful killings and possible links between police officers and organised criminal networks.
The inquiry moved into the KwaZulu-Natal aspect of its work on Wednesday, 12 August 2026. Evidence presented by the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) raised concerns about the way certain police task teams allegedly dealt with people suspected of involvement in cash-in-transit robberies, drug-related activities and taxi industry crime.
IPID Raises Concerns Over Police Shootings
Len Barnabas John, IPID’s deputy director for investigations in KwaZulu-Natal, was the key witness during Wednesday’s proceedings.
According to evidence presented to the Commission, IPID examined 149 deaths involving members of SAPS task teams between April 2023 and 31 May 2026. John said his team had concentrated on 77 of those cases as part of its investigation.
The evidence raised questions about whether all the reported police shootings were genuine encounters in which officers were acting in self-defence.
In some incidents, investigators reportedly found inconsistencies between the number of people killed and the firearms allegedly recovered from the scene. The Commission also heard that some officers were unable to provide the identities of people they had shot.
Allegations of Extrajudicial Killings
One of the most serious issues before the Commission is the allegation that some police task teams may have gone beyond legitimate law-enforcement operations.
John told the inquiry that investigators had found cases in which people were killed even though they could not be properly connected to the crimes for which they were allegedly targeted.
The witness also questioned claims that police officers were consistently responding to suspects who had fired first. According to the evidence, investigators found instances where the circumstances surrounding the deaths did not fully support that explanation.
These allegations have not been proven. The Commission is hearing evidence and testing claims made by witnesses, while people and institutions named in the proceedings remain entitled to respond.
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Questions About Intelligence and Police Investigations
Another concern raised during the hearings involves how information about suspected criminals was obtained and used by police task teams.
Evidence indicated that officers sometimes relied on Crime Intelligence information to locate suspects. However, the information was allegedly not always checked against other investigations, case dockets or detectives handling related matters.
The Commission heard that, in some cases, people were allegedly killed despite there being no clear case number linking them to the crimes under investigation.
IPID also raised concerns about delays in notifying the police watchdog after fatal shootings.
John told the Commission that there were occasions when journalists appeared to learn about police shootings before IPID investigators were informed. He suggested that such delays could create opportunities for evidence at crime scenes to be interfered with.
Alleged Links to the Tow-Truck and Drug Industries
The hearings also touched on alleged connections between sections of the police, the tow-truck industry and organised crime.
Evidence presented to the Commission alleged that Lieutenant-Colonel Deenadayalan Govender, who was linked to the command structure of a KZN cash-in-transit task team, received payments exceeding R2.5 million from a tow-truck business owner between August 2022 and December 2023.
The Commission also heard an allegation involving payments of more than R2.7 million in connection with the killing of alleged drug figure Bevan Loftus.
These claims are allegations presented during the inquiry and have yet to be established as facts.
John further told the Commission that investigators had identified possible overlaps between the tow-truck and drug industries in certain cases. He cautioned, however, that the evidence did not mean every tow-truck operator was involved in criminal activity.
New Witness Expected at the Commission
The KZN-related inquiry is continuing on Thursday, with another witness expected to provide evidence.
SABC News reported that a police officer identified as Witness P has requested that part of his testimony be heard privately. The witness says his evidence concerns information uncovered during a covert counterintelligence operation involving an organised drug gang.
The Commission is expected to decide how the sensitive evidence will be handled, particularly where disclosure could affect ongoing investigations or the safety of witnesses.
Why the KZN Evidence Matters
The latest testimony adds another dimension to the broader Madlanga Commission investigation, which is examining allegations of criminality, corruption and interference within South Africa’s criminal justice system.
The KZN evidence is particularly significant because it raises questions about whether specialised police structures may have been exploited by criminal interests or used outside their lawful mandate.
The Commission’s current focus is not simply on individual shootings. Its broader concern is whether criminal networks have managed to penetrate police structures and influence how law-enforcement operations are conducted.
As the hearings continue, further testimony and documentary evidence could help establish whether the allegations represent isolated incidents or point to a wider pattern within parts of the KwaZulu-Natal police service.
For now, the allegations remain subject to investigation and scrutiny before the Madlanga Commission.