Hawks Lieutenant-Colonel Deenadayalan ‘Deena’ Govender returned to the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry on Monday, where his finances, and allegations that he was pressured to implicate KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) police commissioner lieutenant-general Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi came under intense scrutiny.
Leading the evidence, advocate Matthew Chaskalson questioned Govender about millions of rands that allegedly flowed through his and his wife’s bank accounts despite Govender earning less than R26,000 a month.
The commission heard that approximately R3 million in cash entered the couple’s accounts between August 2022 and December 2023. Some of the money was linked to payments towards a R2.35 million property in Sibaya, an upscale mixed-use development on Durban’s North Coast.
“There are difficulties with your finances because if we add up all the cash that went into your accounts between August 2022 and December 2023, we get to R3 million,” Chaskalson said.
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He pointed out that the amount was more than 100 times Govender’s monthly take-home salary and questioned how the Hawks officer could have obtained such sums from legitimate sources.
‘I did not get money from untoward people’
Govender maintained that the money came from legitimate transactions, including the sale of a property.
“There is a property that I am selling right now,” he told the commission.
Chaskalson also questioned Govender’s ability to repay a loan of more than R3 million, arguing that there would need to be a sufficient and verifiable source of income to service such a debt.
“The numbers do not add up. If you went to a bank and asked on the basis of your salary for a loan of over R3 million, you would not get it,” Chaskalson said.
Govender responded that he lives with his son, who owns three businesses, and that there was a payment plan in place to repay the money.
“I did not get the money from untoward people,” Govender said.
He identified Josh Chellin as one of the sources of financial assistance, describing Chellin as a paternal figure who had frequently helped him financially. Govender characterised the money as a loan.
He also told the commission that his brother had paid him about R350,000 for his share of their late mother’s home, where the brothers had lived together.
Mkhwanazi plot allegations
Govender also made serious allegations about an alleged attempt to persuade him to implicate Mkhwanazi in 172 shootings in KwaZulu-Natal.
He told the commission that he met Mavuso Ntandane described as an ally of suspended Police Minister Senzo Mchunu, at a restaurant in August 2022. Another unidentified person was allegedly present at the meeting.
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According to Govender, the purpose of the meeting was to persuade him to claim that Mkhwanazi had instructed him to carry out or become involved in the shootings.
Govender said Ntandane indicated that he would contact Mchunu and subsequently handed him a telephone. The Hawks boss testified that he recognised the voice on the other end as that of the suspended minister.
“I know the minister’s voice; I know it was him,” Govender told the commission.
He alleged that Mchunu asked him whether he loved the country and told him: “We must not let anyone ruin this country.”
Govender further alleged that he was instructed to implicate Mkhwanazi and was assured that he would be protected. However, he said he was also threatened with arrest and warned that he could be denied bail or poisoned if he refused to cooperate.
Govender told the commission that some of his meetings with Ntandani had also been recorded.
The commission previously heard Govender allege that he was being used as a pawn in an effort to discredit Mkhwanazi.
- Hawks Lieutenant-Colonel Deenadayalan ‘Deena’ Govender returned to the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry on Monday, where his finances, and allegations that he was pressured to implicate KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) police commissioner lieutenant-general Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi came under intense scrutiny.
- Leading the evidence, advocate Matthew Chaskalson questioned Govender about millions of rands that allegedly flowed through his and his wife’s bank accounts despite Govender earning less than R26,000 a month.
- The commission heard that approximately R3 million in cash entered the couple’s accounts between August 2022 and December 2023.
- Some of the money was linked to payments towards a R2.35 million property in Sibaya, an upscale mixed-use development on Durban’s North Coast.
- “There are difficulties with your finances because if we add up all the cash that went into your accounts between August 2022 and December 2023, we get to R3 million,” Chaskalson said.
