Explosive testimony before the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry has shed light on a disturbing web of criminal collusion linking controversial businessman Katiso ‘KT’ Molefe to Warrant Officer Michael Pule Tau, a serving police officer accused of acting as a hitman in a murder-for-hire operation.
Witness A, a detective from the SAPS Organised Crime Unit in Gauteng, presented compelling cellphone records, CCTV footage, and car-tracking data that placed Molefe and Tau at the centre of the murder of Armand Swart, an employee at a Vereeniging engineering firm. Swart was allegedly gunned down after hitmen mistook him for his boss—who had uncovered a massive 4,650% overpricing scheme involving Transnet contracts.
The hearing, part of a broader probe into alleged collusion between politicians, senior police, prosecutors, and elements of the judiciary, has gripped national attention for its revelations of systemic rot.
Evidence Linking Molefe and the Police Officer
According to Witness A, cellphone data placed Tau and Molefe in constant communication, with messages referencing the company where Swart worked. Car-tracking information confirmed that Tau frequently visited Molefe’s residence in a Mercedes-Benz Viano, the same vehicle later captured on CCTV footage near the murder scene the day before the killing.
When investigators arrived at the scene in April 2024, they arrested three suspects, including Tau and driver Musa Kekana. A burner phone, believed to be used for coordinating the operation, was also recovered—along with a firearm, 15 used cartridges, and a Mercedes-Benz rim later linked to Molefe’s associates.
Further investigations led police to Kekana’s home in Bramley and a property in Kliprivier, where Tiego Floyd Mabusela was arrested. Witness A noted that the phone data and vehicle movements built a timeline pointing to coordinated activity between Molefe and the accused before and after Swart’s murder.
Molefe’s Ties to Other High-Profile Cases
Molefe, who is currently out on R400,000 bail for the murder of musician DJ Sumbody, faces growing scrutiny as his name continues to surface in multiple investigations. He stands accused alongside the same trio—Tau, Kekana, and Mabusela—in both murder cases.
Witness A testified partially in camera, with his face concealed for safety reasons. “We started interviewing individuals, and one of them was a police officer, who identified himself as Michael Pule Tau,” he told the commission.
A Glimpse Into a Deeper Problem
The Madlanga Commission, established to investigate corruption and criminal infiltration within South Africa’s security and justice sectors, is expected to continue hearing testimony throughout the coming weeks.
As the inquiry progresses, the case of Molefe and Tau stands as a chilling example of the blurred lines between law enforcement and organised crime—raising troubling questions about the depth of corruption within the system.
The hearing continues.
