Madlanga Commission in South Africa draws attention to political intermediaries — TimesLIVE
The Madlanga Commission in South Africa, according to a TimesLIVE columnist, brought informal political intermediaries who used connections in government and law enforcement structures into the public spotlight. The author writes that such people sought to portray themselves as operators capable of influencing investigations, reputational crises and officials’ decisions.
The material is an opinion column and contains the journalist’s assessments, as well as accounts of statements and allegations made during the commission’s work and in other proceedings.
Contacts after the raid
One of the figures named in the column is a man known as Malcolm X. According to TimesLIVE’s account, the commission drew attention to his contacts with Hawks head Lieutenant General Godfrey Lebeya after a police raid on the estate of Katliso “KT” Molefe. Molefe is accused of murder; the author also links him to the Big Five group.
More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.
The columnist claims that Malcolm X called Lebeya and exchanged messages with him in an attempt to interfere in the operation. According to the material, Lebeya initially described Malcolm X as a police informant, but he denied this. The author also writes that Lebeya had to explain the use of a helicopter during the operation.
Mogotsi and Chauke
The column mentions Brown Mogotsi, who presented himself as a person with connections in political and intelligence circles. According to the publication, he was charged with perjury, illegal possession of a firearm and obstruction of the administration of justice. This is linked to claims that he allegedly shot at his own vehicle and/or attempted to escape from custody. Mogotsi unsuccessfully applied for bail four times.
The author also examines the role of former adviser to President Cyril Ramaphosa, Bejani Chauke, in the Phala Phala case. Former intelligence chief Arthur Fraser claimed that Chauke was involved in bringing in dollars on charter flights and in unofficial contacts near Namibia. Chauke denies the claims about bringing in funds. According to the column, the Independent Police Investigative Directorate indicated that his trips to Namibia were not authorized.
