Hawks Brigadier Lesiba Mokoena appeared before the Madlanga Commission to testify about his role in the armed standoff between Hawks officers and their SAPS colleagues at the home of alleged criminal mastermind Katiso KT Molefe on 6 December 2025.
The standoff occurred while the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT) was attempting to arrest Molefe. Allegations suggest the Hawks were called to the scene by individuals close to Molefe in an effort to prevent the arrest.
Mokoena confirmed he was instructed by the then Head of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI) to send a Hawks team to verify reports of a group allegedly posing as police at Molefe’s residence. During his testimony, Mokoena struggled to explain delays in withdrawing his team, despite being informed by Captain Barry Kruger that the raid was legitimate.
The Brigadier also denied participating in a WhatsApp group set up by Kruger to coordinate the operation, though evidence presented showed he had sent messages to the group. Mokoena suggested these could have been “copy and paste” messages and claimed to have limited recollection of the events.
Mokoena, Kruger, and Captain Maxwell Wanda of SAPS are testifying on allegations that the Hawks, acting on instructions from now-retired Major General Godfrey Lebea, intervened during the PKTT’s arrest operation, leading to a tense armed standoff.