South Africa’s Ex-Police Chief Denies Links to Alleged Crime Cartel as Inquiry Deepens
Retired Lieutenant-General Godfrey Lebeya, the former head of South Africa's elite police unit tasked with tackling serious crime, flatly rejected accusation...
Retired Lieutenant-General Godfrey Lebeya, the former head of South Africa's elite police unit tasked with tackling serious crime, flatly rejected accusations Wednesday that he had connections to an alleged underworld network accused of murder-for-hire and drug trafficking. His testimony before the Madlanga Commission marks a sharp pivot in how law enforcement's highest ranks are being scrutinized over potential criminal infiltration.
The inquiry laid out photographs of five men allegedly tied to the cartel, including murder suspect Katiso Molefe, businessmen Ze Nxumalo and Steve Motsumi, criminal associate Ignatius Mothakathi, and Nyambose Mthethwa. Lebeya insisted he recognized none of them and had no awareness of the organization itself.
The Unraveling of Trust
When pressed about the late taxi magnate Jotham Msibi—reportedly the cartel's leader—Lebeya claimed complete ignorance. "I have no knowledge of that organised criminal grouping at all," he told commissioners, even questioning whether such an entity had been formally registered as a crime project within police databases.
His denials carry weight. Senior police officials who testified before Lebeya had already raised red flags about some of the same individuals now linked to cartel activities. The disconnect between Lebeya's account and that of his subordinates creates a credibility vacuum at a moment when South Africa's criminal justice system faces intense scrutiny over whether organized crime has embedded operatives at leadership levels.
The December 2024 Incident
A central allegation against Lebeya involves his alleged interference in Molefe's arrest in December 2024. Lebeya claimed he deployed officers to the operation after receiving a warning from someone identified as "Malcolm X," a socialite, who claimed impostors wearing police uniforms were present at Molefe's residence. Lebeya maintained he was simply verifying the tip—routine precaution, he argued.
Commissioners questioned his logic. How had he verified that Malcolm X himself wasn't misleading him, given that the same individual was already under Hawks investigation? Lebeya offered no satisfying answer, insisting he had acted appropriately within protocol.
Other Contested Orders
The inquiry also examined whether Lebeya ordered the temporary reassignment of Warrant Officer Karl Sander following a complaint against him. Former KwaZulu-Natal Hawks chief Lesetja Senona had testified in June that Lebeya instructed him to move Sander to the supply chain management department pending investigation. Lebeya denied this entirely, claiming he only learned of the transfer after the Commission raised it with him during Senona's appearance.
Senona has not yet provided documentary proof supporting his version.
A "Cloud" Over Everything
Lebeya concluded his testimony with a five-minute statement, declaring himself "incorruptible" and expressing frustration that allegations connected to his name since July 2025 had cast a shadow over his career. He rejected suggestions that he was part of a network of compromised officers facilitating organized crime.
The Madlanga Commission's investigation itself remains ongoing, examining whether criminal elements have penetrated South Africa's policing apparatus and compromised operations designed to dismantle underworld operations. Lebeya's categorical denials, however, now stand as testimony that may be tested against documentary evidence and statements from other senior figures the inquiry will call.
