Members of the alleged Big Five Cartel. Image: Madlanga Commission of Inquiry
Image: Madlanga Commission of Inquiry.
Retired Hawks head Godfrey Lebeya has denied knowing the alleged Big Five Cartel or its links to late taxi boss Jotham “King Mswazi” Msibi, while disputing former KZN Hawks head Lesetja Senona’s account of the 541kg cocaine theft.
Lebeya told the Madlanga Commission yesterday he was unaware of the alleged syndicate and had no knowledge of the criminal activities reportedly associated with Msibi.
The commission has since been shown photographs of people allegedly linked to the cartel, including murder accused Katiso “KT” Molefe, businessmen Ze Nxumalo and Steve Motsumi, alleged criminal Ignatius Mothakathi and the so-called Nyambose Mthethwa.
South Africa - Pretoria - 02 September 2026 - Former National Head of the National Directorate for Priority Crimes (DPCI/Hawks), Lieutenant-General Seswantsho Godfrey Lebeya, appears before the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry.
Image: Itumeleng English / ANAStudio
Lebeya’s evidence is being tested against testimony from senior police officials who have previously raised concerns about some of the individuals.
Former KwaZulu-Natal Hawks head Major-General Lesetja Senona and Crime Intelligence head General Dumisane Khumalo have described some alleged associates of the group as “dangerous”.
The conflicting evidence has placed the focus squarely on whether senior law-enforcement officials had sufficient information about the alleged network and whether investigations into organised crime were properly handled.
Lebeya was also questioned about allegations that he interfered with a Hawks operation targeting Molefe in 2024.
He denied interfering, saying he deployed Hawks officers to verify the arrest operation after receiving a call from a civilian known as Malcom X.
Molefe has been linked to alleged activities involving the cartel, which is said to have been headed by Msibi.
But Lebeya maintained that Msibi was not known to him during his time as Hawks head.
“I have no knowledge of that organised criminal grouping at all, and I even doubt if it is registered as an organised crime project,” Lebeya said.
Earlier this week, Lebeya contradicted Senona's evidence over the handling of 541kg of drugs, saying he only learned that the Port Shepstone storage facility had been broken into after the drugs were stolen.
He testified that he was unaware that Senona had been given the key, including spare keys, to the facility where the seized drugs were stored.
His evidence directly conflicts with Senona’s earlier testimony that he had informed Lebeya about the decision to move the drugs to the Hawks facility in Port Shepstone.
Evidence leader Advocate Lee Segeels-Ncube confronted Lebeya with the two conflicting versions.
“Because it’s either that General Senona is lying, or you’re lying, or you’re both mistaken about what transpired,” Segeels-Ncube said.
Lebeya declined to accuse Senona of lying, insisting he could not recall being told about the storage arrangements.
“I can’t recall him informing me as to where he has stored the drugs. So that is the view that I had, that he did not inform me,” Lebeya said.
The 541kg cocaine consignment, valued at about R200 million, was recovered from a shipping container at Durban harbour in June 2021 before being moved to the Port Shepstone facility.
The decision to store the drugs there has come under scrutiny amid evidence of serious security shortcomings at the premises, including non-functioning surveillance cameras, inadequate alarm systems and a lack of 24-hour guards.
The cocaine was later stolen from the facility.
Recent evidence before the commission has raised concerns that the theft may have involved insiders with knowledge of the operation and access to the storage site.
Senona was never polygraphed after the drugs went missing.
The hearing continues.
