Gauteng Traffic Police boss Samuel Mashaba has been grilled by the Madlanga Commission over the role he played at the scene of the Aeroton drug bust.
During the second day of his testimony on Thursday, Mashaba told the commission that he had received intelligence from police informant Itumeleng Nku about a truck travelling from Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, allegedly carrying drugs.
The massive drug bust took place in July 2021, with the drugs estimated to have a street value of R300 million.
‘I only acted on information Nku gave me’
“I said to him to make sure that the information was correct so that I could act on it. I only acted on the information he gave me, and he also cautioned me not to involve senior officers in law enforcement because sometimes the seniors have an interest in these drugs,” he said.
When questioned about the reliability of the information he received, Mashaba said that, as a police officer, he knew how to verify information before acting on it.
“I told Nku that I did not want to leave what I was doing for nothing, that is why I wanted him to make sure that the information was positive. When he called me again stating that the truck has touched down in Johannesburg, I then left.”
However, commission chairperson Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga argued that merely being informed that the truck had arrived in Johannesburg was not sufficient grounds for action.
Acting on allegation ‘not enough’
“Unless you acted because you knew it as a fact that what the contents were that were in the truck. Otherwise, acting on the word that the truck has arrived cannot be enough to act on it,” said Madlanga.
Mashaba disagreed.
“I do not know, maybe you want me to tell you what you want to hear. I am saying that it is enough when he says the truck is here. The verification was that I needed to go and open the truck. Other than that I treated it as an allegation,” he responded.
No time to inform Crime Intelligence
Mashaba also told the commission that he did not inform Crime Intelligence because he did not have the luxury of time.
“Nku called me on Thursday evening and I slept, waited for his call the next morning. I was waiting for a confirmation, so I could not inform anybody about allegations.”
Evidence leader Advocate Lee Segeels-Ncube questioned why Mashaba had not activated his team at the Heidelberg weighbridge on the N3.
“There are a lot of trucks that come from Durban that are carrying wrong things and they do not use our weighbridge,” he responded.
The commission later adjourned for a tea break.
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- Gauteng Traffic Police chief Samuel Mashaba testified at the Madlanga Commission about his involvement in the July 2021 Aeroton drug bust, based on intelligence from informant Itumeleng Nku about a Durban truck allegedly carrying drugs worth R300 million.
- Mashaba claimed he verified the information through Nku before taking action and was cautious not to involve senior officers who might have interests in the drugs.
- Commission chair Justice Madlanga questioned the adequacy of acting solely on information that the truck had arrived, but Mashaba insisted this was sufficient to proceed with investigation.
- Mashaba did not inform Crime Intelligence prior to the bust, citing lack of time and waiting for confirmation from Nku before acting on the truck.
- When asked why he did not deploy his team earlier at the Heidelberg weighbridge, Mashaba explained many trucks from Durban bypass that weighbridge, complicating interception efforts.
"I said to him to make sure that the information was correct so that I could act on it. I only acted on the information he gave me, and he also cautioned me not to involve senior officers in law enforcement because sometimes the seniors have an interest in these drugs," he said.
When questioned about the reliability of the information he received,
"I told
However, commission chairperson Justice
"Unless you acted because you knew it as a fact that what the contents were that were in the truck.
"I do not know, maybe you want me to tell you what you want to hear. I am saying that it is enough when he says the truck is here.
"
Evidence leader Advocate Lee Segeels-Ncube questioned why
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