Chief Samuel Mashaba of the Gauteng Traffic Police admits he did not report the narcotics tip-off to the SAPS, as per the requirements in law enforcement.
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The Madlanga Commission has heard that Chief Samuel Mashaba, the Chief Provincial Inspector of Gauteng Traffic Police, failed to comply with rules and guidelines in the Aeroton drug bust, as narcotics operations must be reported to the SAPS.
Mashaba was testifying before the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry on Thursday regarding his role in the R300 million Aeroton drug bust that happened in 2021.
He admitted to the Commission that he received information about a truck carrying drugs the night before it arrived in Johannesburg, but could not explain why he did not mobilise his team, which would have stopped the truck at the Heidelberg weighbridge.
Previous testimony revealed that the truck driver did not stop at any of the truck stops or weighbridges from Durban to Johannesburg.
Mashaba also did not report to the SAPS the narcotics tip-off as per the requirements. He had earlier said that anything related to narcotics must be reported to the nearest police station.
However, this did not happen as he admitted that despite being a traffic officer, he went into Yellow Jersey Logistics premises and then the Scania premises, searched the truck, and the drugs fell from the truck.
This was the same scene where he and other law-enforcement officers, including businessman Tumelo Nku, were arrested by the Hawks for dealing in drugs.
The chairperson of the Commission, Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga, asked Mashaba why he did not report the discovery of narcotics to the police as per the prescripts.
Mashaba first claimed that he had reported the discover but then said, “I did not report; I requested manpower in the morning.”
Madlanga said, “My understanding is that asking for manpower to then engage in an operation like you did is not the same as reporting to SAPS. So, your answer is ‘you did not report'. And this is something that you ought to have reported, not so?”
To which he said, “On this one chair, I was cautioned; hence I did not report directly to SAPS.”
Madlanga asked, “So, you do not comply with prescripts based on something that a civilian tells you? So, you basically bowed to the wishes of a civilian, and you do not act in the manner you are required to. You said you had to report something like this to SAPS, and you say that you did not report because you were cautioned by Mr Nku, a civilian. So, you are basically saying Mr Nku said, ‘Do not comply with your prescripts and you did not comply with your prescripts. Is that what you are telling us?”
Mashaba denied bowing to a civilian by failing to follow the regulations or laws on the reporting and handling of prescripts.
Madlanga stated, “I will further suggest to you that your conduct was unlawful. That is the conduct of not following the prescripts but instead following what Mr Nku said to you. That was unlawful. You have no discretion not to follow existing principles. That is what I suggest to you. Do you care to comment?”
Mashaba said he did not agree with Madlanga, as the drug bust was successful.
The testimony continues.