KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) police commissioner General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi has been placed at the centre of a controversial shooting involving the province’s Cash-in-Transit (CIT) Task Team.
An Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) investigator told the Madlanga Commission that the province’s top cop was on the phone with a suspect during the incident and later summoned task-team members to his office.
Len John, Deputy Director for Investigations at IPID in KZN, was continuing his testimony before the Commission on Wednesday when he detailed an operation that he said raised questions about the conduct of the task team and the subsequent handling of its members.
According to John, this was the Pinetown case related to the taxi industry.
Allegations police linked to hit squad
He testified about police linked to an alleged hit squad operating in the province.
“It is alleged that on 30 May 2024, members from a task team under the command of captain Pedro Rodriguez shot at a vehicle, a Toyota Fortuner to kill the driver. 14 rounds were shot at the said vehicle, fortunately the vehicle was an armour-proof vehicle. During the incident the driver telephonically contacted General (Nhlanhla) Mkhwanazi,” said John.
John further alleged that Mkhwanazi advised the suspect to drive to the Pavilion Shopping Centre.
According to John, the driver arrived at the shopping centre and he met with senior police officers.
John said members of the task team later arrived at the shopping centre and were summoned to Mkhwanazi’s office by Major General Vukani Mgobhozi, the Deputy Provincial Commissioner for Detectives in KZN.
He alleged that the members subsequently left the shopping centre without being processed as suspects implicated in the discharge of official firearms in an attempted-murder case.
The allegations came as John described what he said were recurring similarities in shootings involving the CIT Task Team, headed by Colonel Deena Govender.
“Investigations have thus far revealed that there was a shooting of a taxi chairperson by the name Boy-Boy Dladla in Hillcrest. Captain Rodriguez was tasked to apprehend the suspects.”
Also Read: 149 deaths linked to KZN police task teams, IPID tells Madlanga Commission
Task team central to shootings involving CIT suspects
John said the task team was involved in the majority of shootings involving CIT suspects that IPID was investigating.
He said many of the operations took place between 23:00 and 03:00, with task-team members allegedly wearing civilian clothes and face masks.
John also questioned why information received during the day was allegedly acted on through night-time operations in rural KZN.
His evidence broadened into concerns over how police deal with suspected criminals hiding in hijacked properties.
“When they hijack the premises, they will keep the owners of the premises in the house, and they will inform the owners that you are not to phone anyone or inform anyone that they are on the premises.”
John alleged that police sometimes responded by shooting everyone found inside.
“When the police get wind that they are at that premises, the police go and they just shoot everybody. Even the owners of the house are shot. Because police indicate that they came under fire, and that is why they shot.”
“And we’ve seen in some cases, or in majority of the shootings, by the task team, they don’t have proper case numbers, where they were looking for the suspects. In some cases, they cannot even give you the names of the deceased that they shot,” he added.
John said IPID believed police were failing to properly investigate suspects before using lethal force.
“So with our investigation, we believe that the police are not doing proper investigations to arrest the suspects.”
- KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi was on the phone with a suspect during a controversial shooting involving the province's Cash-in-Transit Task Team.
- The incident involved task team members shooting 14 rounds at an armoured Toyota Fortuner in an attempt to kill the driver on 30 May 2024.
- After the shooting, the driver was advised by Mkhwanazi to drive to Pavilion Shopping Centre where senior police officers met him and summoned task team members to the commissioner's office.
- Members of the task team left without being processed as suspects despite being implicated in discharging firearms in an attempted murder case.
- Deputy Director Len John testified about recurring issues with the task team, including night-time operations, failure to properly investigate before using lethal force, and shooting all occupants in hijacked premises without distinguishing suspects from innocent occupants.
KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) police commissioner General
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Len John, Deputy Director for Investigations at IPID in KZN, was continuing his testimony before the Commission on Wednesday when he detailed an operation that he said raised questions about the conduct of the task team and the subsequent handling of its members.
He testified about police linked to an alleged hit squad operating in the province.
"It is alleged that on 30 May 2024, members from a task team under the command of captain Pedro Rodriguez shot at a vehicle, a Toyota Fortuner to kill the driver. 14 rounds were shot at the said vehicle, fortunately the vehicle was an armour-proof vehicle.
John further alleged that
John said members of the task team later arrived at the shopping centre and were summoned to
He alleged that the members subsequently left the shopping centre without being processed as suspects implicated in the discharge of official firearms in an attempted-murder case.
"Investigations have thus far revealed that there was a shooting of a taxi chairperson by the name Boy-Boy
Also Read: 149 deaths linked to KZN police task teams, IPID tells
John said the task team was involved in the majority of shootings involving CIT suspects that IPID was investigating.
He said many of the operations took place between 23:00 and 03:00, with task-team members allegedly wearing civilian clothes and face masks.
John also questioned why information received during the day was allegedly acted on through night-time operations in rural KZN.
His evidence broadened into concerns over how police deal with suspected criminals hiding in hijacked properties.
"When they hijack the premises, they will keep the owners of the premises in the house, and they will inform the owners that you are not to phone anyone or inform anyone that they are on the premises."
John alleged that police sometimes responded by shooting everyone found inside.
"When the police get wind that they are at that premises, the police go and they just shoot everybody. Even the owners of the house are shot. Because police indicate that they came under fire, and that is why they shot."
"
John said IPID believed police were failing to properly investigate suspects before using lethal force.
"So with our investigation, we believe that the police are not doing proper investigations to arrest the suspects."
All the #Marimuthu linked cartle memebers some even in #IPID finally showing their true colors. Man went singing sad songs for gangsters without even a tear for all the cops who put their lives on the line in active duty taking thieves, drug dealers and gangsters. and media thinks we are none the wiser – the #khandrea (Khan and Andrea) cartel gangsters are now on their last legs and running scared thinking they can stop #GenNhlanhlaMkhwanazi
Mainstream media thinkign we idiots