The man who alerted former Hawks head General Godfrey Lebeya about police officers claiming to be Hawks members at the home of high-profile murder suspect Katiso “KT” Molefe was Johannesburg businessman Malcolm X—not the suspect himself, as previously speculated.
This comes after claims that Lebeya sent a team to Molefe’s home in December 2024, allegedly to interfere with his arrest in connection with the murder of Vereeniging engineer Armand Swart.
At a press briefing on July 6, KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi accused top police officials, including Police Minister Senzo Mchunu, and the judiciary of meddling in the case. Mkhwanazi claimed that on the day of Molefe’s arrest, a Gauteng police team attempted to stop it—a team later confirmed to have been dispatched by Lebeya.
Molefe was arrested again last week in connection with the murder of DJ Sumbody (Oupa John Sefoka). His arrest drew attention when Patriotic Alliance (PA) deputy president Kenny Kunene was seen outside his home. Kunene has since resigned as a Johannesburg councillor and was placed on a 30-day leave by the PA.
The Whistleblower’s Account
Malcolm X told *Africa News Global* that he called Lebeya after a client—a friend of Molefe—expressed concerns that the arresting officers might be impersonating police.
“I went to the scene in Sandhurst and asked the officers for identification, but they refused and told me to leave,” Malcolm X said. He then called Lebeya, who sent a team to verify the officers’ credentials.
Lebeya confirmed Malcolm X’s account, stating: *“He did not ask me to stop the arrest—only to verify if the officers were legitimate.”* The Hawks team later confirmed the arresting officers were genuine and left the scene.
Mkhwanazi’s Allegations
Mkhwanazi had suggested that Lebeya’s team tried to obstruct the arrest. Malcolm X disputed this, saying he tried to clarify with Mkhwanazi that he was the whistleblower, but the general did not respond to his calls.
Lebeya maintained that he acted on a tip-off to prevent potential police impersonation, not to interfere with the arrest.
*Africa News Global* has reached out to Mkhwanazi for comment and will update the story if a response is received.