SAPS FORENSIC CAPTAIN IN COURT AFTER MADLANGA COMMISSION PROBE | 30 MURDER CASES LINKED

Added: 2026-05-26

[00:00:00]On Friday, the commission's recommendations task team um arrested um Captain Mak um for defeating the ends of justice for being an accessory after the fact and for being found in uh possession of um unlicensed ammunition.

[00:00:18]Um when they arrived at his home, they found him in possession of 28 ballistics reports, but the team is still um analyzing those uh particular ballistic uh reports. Um they also found him with several rounds of ammunition um and and and so on. So today he has appeared in court. He is back on the 2nd of June. Um but you will recall that um this case emanates from the Aman Swart case uh where Aman Swad was killed on the 17th of April 2024.

[00:00:55]You've recalled that he was um killed in a hail of bullets and a few hours later our organized crime detectives as well as um shouting members they had managed to arrest those that had been behind his assassination in in Johannesburg. And upon their arrest they were found with a licensed private firearm. Um they were found with about 15 AK-47 cartridges and uh they then proceeded to um the accused or rather suspects at the time's um homes where they found actually the vehicle that was used in the heat of um Aman which was a Hyundai i20. In that particular Hundai I20, uh, one AK-47 was found together with two pistols. So it means that after murdering Aman, uh, those suspects proceeded to one of the homes of of the suspects. They abandoned that particular vehicle knowing that obviously police are hot on their heels. They got into another vehicle, but little did they know that intelligence was already tailing them and they then got um arrested.

[00:02:15]Fine. So, fast forward, obviously, those firearms that are found are then taken uh for ballistics uh testing at our head office forensic science um laboratory.

[00:02:29]And um upon um completion of that particular report um there are then blaring mistakes and errors that are then noted. Um while our organized crime detectives uh are still on the ground obviously they receive information that these particular hitmen are involved in a number of high-profile cases and they had been you know involved in a lot of murders and a lot of attempted murders.

[00:03:01]Uh but when that particular report um that was obviously signed off then by Captain Makote then is finalized and presented the these two investigators from Organized Crime then notice that um there are a lot of errors and there are no linkages.

[00:03:19]It was it we are here today because of those two investigators and I think we need to um give credit where it's due because if they were not determined if they not did they did not persist um for a second opinion on those particular firearms a lot of cases would have remained unsolved. So through their determination they then requested their commanders for a second opinion for those particular firearms. Um and um those firearms uh were then taken from head office forensic science laboratory.

[00:03:52]Uh they were taken to Amani FSL where indeed they were then linked to 30 cases serious and violent cases the majority of them being murder and a few attempted murder.

[00:04:08]um the team uh to verify whether the Amanzuni report was um a true reflection of the forensic findings. They then requested for another second opinion.

[00:04:20]Those firearms were then taken to Eastern Cape H forensic science laboratory where the two reviewers and the ballistics experts then agreed that indeed these firearms linked to 30 serious and violent cases, the majority being murder and attempted murder. So it then gave the investigation investigators an indication that the initial report that was worked on by Captain Mortre.

[00:04:51]It it had glaring mistakes and a lot of errors and it is it is unusual with the experience of Captain Makortre that he would make such glaring mistakes and would not link these firearms uh to other cases. Now we know that h those three firearms were linked to firstly the Aman case. They were linked to DJ somebody and his two bodyguards case. Uh the Dawn Ding Denny murder. H they were linked to um DJ Vindo's murder. When it comes to attempted murder, we link those firearms to the attempted murder of Jose Boni, the attempted murder of um I think it was DJ Vetis and and so on. So our team is still in in in investigating and linking um other cases. Um it's highly likely that they'll bring other cases uh before court. So um in in the you know valley chain a ballistic expert uh plays a very crucial role. When a ballistic expert uh fails to provide uh true and accurate forensic findings, it derails investigations. you know um so misrepresentation and failing to correctly analyze exhibits it leads investigators to being misled. It compromises investigations and it means perpetrators then evade justice. So it's a very serious crime and that is why uh he is facing about three charges. The defeating of uh the ends of justice, accessory after the fact because we do believe that um by him by him misrepresenting uh the report and um manipulating the report, then he should together with those suspects or the accused be charged then with the murders of Amans. Because even in the Amansar case where he linked the the the the the ballistics h the firearms to that particular crime scene, they were still glaring errors that would have ensured that those accused h would get off scot-free. So I think credit needs to be given um to those uh two investigators who we cannot obviously uh mention and dulge uh their ranks and names because of the risk that is involved. We have had to obviously um put measures in place to protect them because we have previously indicated that their lives are at risk because of their determination, their commitment uh to the badge and for their relentless efforts in ensuring that many other cases are solved. Now we have the perpetrators of DJ Somebody. We've got the perpetrators of Don Dini uh DJ uh uh Vindos, the attempted murder suspects in the cases of uh Josie Boni as well as um DJ Vetis and so on. So really credit must be given to those two investigators for the meticulous investigative h work and the commitment because uh if it wasn't for them, we wouldn't be here today. All these perpetrators would have evaded justice.

[00:08:16]Can you talk about whether there are internal investigations unfolding in relation to Maf? Has he been suspended?

[00:08:23]Um, you know, does he still keep his bad? What's happening there? Well, in terms of um uh suspension, I don't think he is yet suspended, but we will be ensuring that the internal departmental processes uh kick in in line with our disciplinary regulations and we will then provide a further detail at a later stage. But obviously we have to follow dual processes in terms of uh departmental investigations. And the claim we remember of course his time at the Madlanga Commission where uh these discrepancies were bought into sharp scrutiny. He mentioned system errors uh typo errors. How deliberate was his intention as you've mentioned to manipulate this evidence and what did he stand to gain?

[00:09:11]>> Well, those are the answers I think that um we are looking for and this is an opportunity for the captain to actually come clean to say who was he working with? Was he working with the syndicates or was he working with other people who stood to gain if they protected uh those syndicates and those accused that are now before court?

[00:09:32]>> You've also mentioned that he's now looking at the fact that he was an accessory of does that mean he will be joined as an accused in the murders of DJ somebody and DJ Pinto as we understand that case is currently before the courts.

[00:09:48]>> Well, not now. I will have to get a full briefing from the investigating officer.

[00:09:54]But now he's only linked to the Aman swab case because like I've indicated on that particular report as well. There were glaring mistakes that if that matter was brought before court with that particular ballistics report then the perpetrators would have evaded justice because probably the magistrate would have thrown that case out of court.

[00:10:16]>> As you see right now the similar of Sergeant Funny Gors with regards to some of the documents that he was found with. um the scale of the involvement of officers in conceiving evidence in tampering uh with that type of evidence I'm sure is something that uh is is is probably worrying for this moment.

[00:10:41]Um but we've got full faith and confidence in the commission's recommendations. Task team in the work that they are doing that they will continue to detect wrongdoing. H they will continue to uncover those that are working with the syndicate and bring perpetrators to justice. Then let's talk about then the task team uh the organized uh uh organized task team that's being left organized crime task team that's being led by Dangam Kwanazi.

[00:11:11]Um is this task team perhaps then also working together with the recommendations task team that's looking into these allegations at the Matanga Commission? Well, absolutely. It's quite a big team and they are hard at work in ensuring that um they restore trust and public confidence back in the police. Um so it's it's this is a result of uh the investigations ongoing investigations that have emerged from the task team that they're not only um focusing on what is um happening at the Madlanga Commission. If um other information comes forward is brought to their attention, they investigate it and they find that there's primmaafaki evidence um for uh to effect arrest and there is a ca that case that will be able to stand in court then they pursue uh such cases.

[00:12:06]>> Just lastly then I know the Joseph Mata is now going to be reenrolled. Uh I know as the police um you know you were hard at work to try and gather this evidence.

[00:12:16]Your reaction to the reenrollment? Well, Bumalanga police had indicated that they still believe that they've got a strong case against uh the four accused. Uh they still maintain that the evidence that they have gathered remains intact and they are working closely obviously with the NPA to ensure that that matter is reenrolled and the four accused then are brought before court to answer to the charges that they will be that they are facing. Thank you so much for your time. We're good to hear back online. All right.