The elaborate planning that led to the murder of QTech engineer Armand Swart has been exposed, detailing how controversial businessman Katiso “KT” Molefe allegedly orchestrated the hit.
Evidence presented before the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into criminality, political interference, and corruption in the criminal justice system on Monday revealed a web of coordination allegedly involving Molefe and hitmen.
“These links started as the investigations continued. Initially, we had these three people that we had arrested for the murder of Armand Swart, and then when we did our initial investigation in what would be termed as a ‘cellphone communication investigation’.
High-profile figure behind murder
“We could see that there was actually a person behind the murder, who was high up and who was actually ordering the hit of Armand Swart, and then that person was initially identified as Katiso Molefe, who was then later arrested in this case,” said Witness A, who is a South African Police Service (SAPS) investigator from the organised crimes unit.
The witness testified anonymously, outlining how Molefe, who is also accused in the murder of DJ Sumbody, allegedly masterminded the Swart hit.
Molefe is currently out on R100 000 bail for the alleged murder of Swart and R400 000 bail for the alleged murder of DJ Sumbody.
The investigation linked Molefe to Johannesburg Central police official Michael Pule Tau through extensive cellphone communication and surveillance data.
On April 12 2024, five days before the killing, Molefe and Tau made several phone calls to each other. The first call lasted 119 seconds at 11:38am, followed by another 14-second call at 11:43am. Tracking data showed Tau arriving at Molefe’s residence at 12:16pm in a Mercedes-Benz Viano shortly after the conversations.
The following day, Tau received a text message containing the name and cellphone number of an individual identified as an employee at QTech. The SAPS investigator reported that Tau then attempted to obtain more information about this person through a contact referred to only as Lerato, suggesting that the conspirators were gathering insider intelligence.
Cop in close proximity when hit happened
Further communication took place on April 14, when Tau informed Molefe that they had arrived. Cellphone tower data placed Tau’s device within 1.98 kilometers of QTech’s premises during this time, linking him directly to the area.
On April 16, two days before the murder, the pair exchanged further calls. CCTV footage and tracking records later placed Tau’s Mercedes-Benz Viano outside QTech. On the night before the assassination, the same vehicle was spotted once again at Molefe’s residence.
The hitmen used a white Hyundai i20 vehicle to follow Swart all the way to his workplace on April 17, 2024 morning where he was murdered.
Assassins nabbed in cop’s car
Witness A said a few hours after the hit, three suspects were arrested in Bramley, Johannesburg, in a Mercedes-Benz Viano. He also revealed that this is the same vehicle that belonged to Tau and had been seen entering Molefe’s house a day before the murder.
In the vehicle were Tau, Musa Kekana and an unnamed person who was not arrested, as his involvement was to get rims for another Mercedes-Benz C200 that was stuck by the third suspect, Floyd Tiego Mabusela.
The police confiscated four cellphones, including a burner phone that no one claimed.
“We refer to it in the sense that it does not have internet capabilities. It’s those small phones that do not have internet capabilities on.
“Usually, in the line of work that I’m in, we find suspects that have their smartphone, which is their personal phone, and they will use these so-called burners because they believe when they use it, it’s not going to be easy to be traced,” said Witness A.
The other three phones belonged to Tau, Kekana and Mabusela.
The police also found the “infamous 15 cartridges” of a rifle that was in a transparent bag, a licence plate linked to the stuck Mercedes-Benz C200, and the rim for the same vehicle.
“These 15 cartridges were then later going to assist us to link this suspect to the murder scene in Vereeniging or to the firearms that would later be found in the house (of Kekana) in the crime scene that is also in Bramley,” said Witness A.
Murder vehicle found at cop’s abode
The Hyundai identified at the Vereeniging QTech crime scene was found at Kekana’s house, where the tracker placed the Viano during the time of the crime.
Witness A explained that this Hyundai was scouting the place earlier before the shooting, making turns with the Mercedes-Benz C200 found with Mabusela at Kliprivier, the same one that was stuck and needed a rim.
“This vehicle belonged to the daughter of Mabusela, so using the wrong plate number would assist in not being linked to the crime scene because it was picked up in the CCTV cameras with this registration number that was wrong,” said Witness A.
They also found that the banner phone found with Mabusela was also communicating with the one found in the Mercedes-Benz Viano. The two phones had been in communication during the killing of Swart.
Officers stalked by criminals
Witness A also revealed that after the three suspects made their appearance before the Vereeniging Magistrates Court, the team of detectives, including himself, was being followed by the vehicles that were parked in front of the court during the proceedings.
He said these vehicles wanted them to get him to drive off the road, but he called his colleagues in vehicles in front of him to strategise a safer way to get to their office.
He said they stopped and decided to avoid the R59 and go through the Old Vereeniging Road but they were still being followed but were rather intimidated this time.
