Armand Swart killing suspect, KT Molefe’s nephew, on the run since 2024

On Wednesday, 22 October 2025, Witness B told the Madlanga Commission that Lucky Molefe, a Transnet buyer, was under pressure from the state-owned entity’s investigators in April 2024 to hand over doctored tender documents reflecting inflated prices.

Instead of complying, Lucky Molefe turned to his uncle, Katiso “KT” Molefe, who, in turn, approached then police officer Michael Tau, who allegedly moonlighted as a hitman – a chain of events that allegedly led to the murder in Vereeniging of engineer Armand Swart on 17 April 2024.

Commission chair Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga has ruled that witnesses A, B and C, all members of the Gauteng Organised Crime Unit probing criminal cartels in Gauteng, could testify remotely. Their voices are being broadcast live, but their identities will remain concealed for safety reasons.

On the day of Swart’s killing, police arrested Tau, along with the other alleged hitmen, Musa Kekana and Floyd Mabusela, for murder. Katiso Molefe was arrested in December 2024.

Katiso Molefe was named by Mkhwanazi as part of a drug cartel known as the “Big Five”, although he faces no drug-related charges. In addition to Swart’s murder, he also faces charges for the 2022 murders of Oupa John Sefoka, known as DJ Sumbody, and Hector Buthelezi, known as DJ Vintos.

He is out on R400,000 bail. The Madlanga Commission has heard that investigators came under pressure when they tried to arrest him. 

Read more: Shadrack Sibiya, Hawks linked to alleged interference in KT Molefe’s arrest

Suspect at large

Lucky Molefe, who Witness B said played a crucial role in the killing, remains at large. 

“Molefe, from Johannesburg, has been in hiding since December 2024, and police have been searching for him,” said SAPS spokesperson Vincent Mukhathi earlier in October 2025. 

“Police are still searching for Lucky Boitiumelo Molefe, and he is warned to hand himself over at the nearest police station.”

According to Witness B, the alleged plot to eliminate a whistleblower began after the company where Swart worked, Q Tech, flagged irregularities in a tender awarded to the company SK group. Swart wasn’t the whistleblower and was killed in what is believed to be a case of mistaken identity. 

Hugely inflated prices

Witness B told the commission that Q Tech had supplied Transnet with spring accessories for more than 40 years. But in 2023, Q Tech learnt that SK Group was buying its springs and selling them to Transnet for highly inflated prices.

“Unlike other Transnet tenders, this one was never advertised. The details grew even murkier. Q Tech normally sold the springs for between R3.95 and R4 each. But when SK Group submitted its purchase order, Q Tech was stunned to learn that the same springs were being sold to Transnet for R151 apiece,” said Witness B. 

“An inspector who examined the springs before their release raised the alarm, asking Transnet officials if they were aware they were paying more than 30 times the actual price,” she explained.

Lucky Molefe worked as a buyer at Transnet, and Witness B said he was part of a corrupt operation that acted like a family business, which had to be protected at all costs.

He championed the process to award SK Group the tender. When the money was paid to the SK Group account, the whole amount was paid to the account of Thapelo Molefe, Katiso Molefe’s son, who then transferred it to SK Group.

Scam exposed

A whistleblower reported the irregularities to the Department of Public Enterprises, which then instructed Transnet to launch an internal investigation.

According to Witness B, Lucky Molefe was asked to furnish the relevant documents, but delayed doing so until 12 April 2024, the point at which, investigators believe, the chain of events leading to Swart’s murder began.

“On 12 April 2024, Transnet investigators cornered Lucky Boitumelo Molefe, nephew of Katiso ‘KT’ Molefe, demanding documents over alleged tender fraud involving inflated spring prices. 

“The exposé came after a whistleblower flagged the irregularities. Five days later, on 17 April, Q Tech engineer Swart was gunned down in Vereeniging. Since December 2024, Lucky has vanished, a fugitive now wanted by police in connection with the killing,” said Witness B.

Read more: Envelopes and missing evidence — Madlanga Commission hears allegations of murder cover-up

On 12 April, Tau drove to Katiso Molefe’s house, according to the data and vehicle tracker. Then they drove to Q Tech for the first time and back to Katiso Molefe’s house.

“Something urgently needed to be done, otherwise there would be problems. Further scoutings took place on 13, 14, 15, 16 April 2024, and subsequently Swart was killed on 17 April,” Witness B explained.

‘So much to lose’

Asked by Commissioner Sandile Khumalo why  Lucky Molefe might have ordered the hit, Witness B said it was because he had so much to lose regarding the SK Group tender and Transnet’s request for documents.

“The document sought was going to reveal that two dormant companies Lucky said were in competition with SK Group actually are non-existent. The investigation has revealed that when the money was paid to SK Group, what happened was that the whole money was transferred to Thapelo’s account,” she said.

Madlanga questioned the basis for concluding that either Katiso or Lucky Molefe could have ordered the hit.

“I’m not sure how you arrive at the inference that Lucky Molefe could have ordered it,” he said.

Witness B responded, “Where Q Tech is concerned, it was important to eliminate them because they had over 40 years of history with Transnet. During the early stages of the investigation, it was strange to find that Q Tech no longer appeared on the system; someone had deleted them to make sure they couldn’t be traced.”

The commission continues on Thursday, 23 October. DM