Madlanga Commission to look at drug seizures in Gauteng

Añadido: 2026-05-17

[00:00:03][music] >> The Mid-Lunga Commission will resume its public hearings today with a new witness on the stand. The witness is expected to give evidence that continues with a stream of drug seizures by South African law enforcement agencies as well as the handling and theft or disappearance of narcotic substances in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng. Let's now cross live to our reporter Kani Mapanga who's in Pretoria.

[00:00:39]Kani, good morning to you.

[00:00:45]Indeed, good morning to you Leanne and to the viewers at home. We do see that a new witness is expected at 9:30 a.m.

[00:00:52]this morning as we continue with that stream of a drug seizures and alleged corruption within that particular space.

[00:01:00]However, the name hasn't been released to us yet, but we know that it's going to extend beyond KZN and now look at the Gauteng province. We spent a better part of last week looking at that Port Shepstone facility incident, the missing drugs 541 kg of cocaine rather to the street value of 200 million rands. And of course, that evidence which came from a former Hawks member and of course a component head within the Hawks gave us some interesting evidence that leaves a lot of questions for KZN Hawks head that is Major General Lesetja Senona. Because from the evidence that we see him is that it seems that the incident that took place was allegedly by design. And then of course, with that transfer and the kind of evidence that follows, the Port Shepstone facility questions are raised to Senona as to why he transferred those drugs from Ms. Pango SAPS which is considered to be a secure facility to the Port which we're hearing from Prinsloo did not have the kind of security standards that are expected to house those kinds of high value exhibits that is cocaine and whether or not this incident was allegedly deliberate in order to expose those particular high value exhibits that is the cocaine to that kind of risk or exposure because the evidence of Prinsloo suggests that they were a number of break-ins that had taken place at that facility 18 months prior which form part of a factual report that was made to Brigadier Newsah and allegedly the provincial office was well aware of the facts surrounding the Port Shepstone facility and that includes Major General Setja Senoamadi. We know last week he was expected to return and we do expect him to come back by the end of the week in order to answer to those particular allegations but certainly more questions there and more allegations are expected to emerge this week as the evidence will now shift from the KZN province to Gauteng and we'll understand what the kind of problem if any exists in this particular province with these kinds of events if we could put it that way that have been described as something that is not a coincidence and is allegedly by design and speaks to the very work of this commission which seeks to test the extent to which these alleged criminal cartels which double up in legitimate business as well as criminal elements which can include drug trafficking the extent to which these particular cartels have infiltrated the criminal justice system. All that and more at 9:30 a.m.

[00:03:37]All right, Khayelihle Mpungose thank you very much for that update and we look forward to seeing what comes out of it.

[00:03:59]>> Mhm.