Witness
Chief Provincial Inspector, Gauteng Traffic Police · Gauteng
Testified · concluded, credibility questioned
The former head of the Gauteng Traffic Police (Chief Provincial Inspector), who gave three days of evidence before the Madlanga Commission on the 2021 Aeroton cocaine bust. He testified that a July 2021 tip-off led to the interception of more than 700kg of cocaine, and was one of four law-enforcement officers arrested at the scene by the Hawks for alleged drug dealing; he accuses Crime Intelligence's Maj-Gen Feroz Khan of disrupting the operation and orchestrating the arrests. Under cross-examination his account unravelled: the commission probed an undisclosed, allegedly funded relationship with businessman Tumelo Nku, messages touching on the late Deputy President David Mabuza and MEC Faith Mazibuko, and on his final day chairperson Madlanga told him directly, 'you are being untruthful'. These are untested allegations; Mashaba and everyone he names are presumed innocent.
This profile summarises testimony and evidence given on the public record before the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry. It restates allegations as presented at the hearings and is not a finding of guilt, liability, or wrongdoing by any person.
Key disclosures
Says a July 2021 tip-off he received led to the interception of the cocaine consignment.
Mashaba testified that in July 2021 he received a tip-off about a large drug consignment, which was later intercepted at Aeroton, south of Johannesburg, where more than 700kg of cocaine (an estimated R300 million) was seized.
Arrested by the Hawks at the 2021 Aeroton scene for alleged drug dealing.
He was among four law-enforcement officers arrested at the Aeroton scene by Hawks members for alleged dealing in drugs. The allegation is untested and Mashaba is presumed innocent; he appears before the commission as a witness giving his account.
Says Khan tried to claim the operation and did not receive a briefing from them.
Mashaba accused Crime Intelligence deputy head Maj-Gen Feroz Khan of trying to take credit for the Aeroton bust, telling the commission Khan 'did not get the briefing from them'. Khan, summoned to testify from 1 July 2026, denies wrongdoing and is presumed innocent.
Commission shown chats between suspect Tumelo Nku and Mashaba about evading police.
The commission was shown encrypted messages between suspect Tumelo Nku and Samuel Mashaba detailing how the truck carrying the cocaine consignment could evade police. Hawks investigator Lt-Col Nkoana Sebola earlier testified that a contact saved as 'General Mashaba of Hawks' in Nku's saved screenshots was matched by cellphone number to Mashaba. Untested allegations.
Commission questioned why he did not intercept the truck at a weighbridge under his control or alert crime intelligence.
Under cross-examination on his second day, commissioners pressed Mashaba on why - knowing the night before that a truck allegedly carrying drugs was travelling from Durban to Johannesburg - he did not stop it at the Heidelberg weighbridge that falls under his authority, or involve crime intelligence to verify the tip-off. He maintained he acted only once the consignment had arrived and treated the information as an allegation until the truck could be opened. The commission put to him that his account 'simply does not make sense'. Untested allegations; Mashaba is presumed innocent.
Commission suggested a 'DD' reference in his chats meant then-Deputy President Mabuza; he said it meant a businessman's late uncle.
The commission examined May 2019 messages in which Mashaba wrote 'I see DD is back, let's move on our issues'. Evidence leaders and commissioners put to him that 'DD' referred to then-Deputy President David 'DD' Mabuza, reappointed on 29 May 2019, and suggested he was not being truthful in claiming it referred to the late uncle of businessman Tumelo Nku. Mashaba denied lying. The exchange is part of the commission's scrutiny of his contacts; nothing has been found against him and he is presumed innocent.
Evidence leaders put it to him that his tipster, Itumeleng 'Tumelo' Nku, was funding him - a tie he did not disclose.
On his second day, cross-examination turned to Mashaba's relationship with Itumeleng 'Tumelo' Nku, the businessman who alerted him to the Durban drug truck a day before the bust. Evidence leaders put it to him directly that Nku 'was funding' him, framing the tip-off as a paid and undisclosed relationship rather than ordinary informant contact, and chairperson Mbuyiseli Madlanga accused him of not being truthful. Mashaba denies wrongdoing; these are untested allegations and he is presumed innocent.
Says the bust was going well until Khan's team arrived, disrupted it, and orchestrated the arrests.
Mashaba told the commission the Aeroton operation was proceeding successfully until the arrival of senior officers led by Maj-Gen Feroz Khan, whom he accused of disrupting the operation and then orchestrating the arrest of those on the scene, himself among them. His application for a partially in-camera hearing was dismissed, so his account was given in open session. Khan, summoned to testify from 1 July 2026, denies wrongdoing; untested allegations.
After a day of resisting, accepted that 'I see DD is back' pointed to the late Deputy President.
Pressed again on his 29 May 2019 message to Nku - 'I see DD is back, let's move on our issues' - Mashaba conceded the reference was to then Deputy President David 'DD' Mabuza, who had been reappointed that very day, having earlier insisted 'DD' meant the late uncle of the businessman. The reversal fed the commission's view that he was being evasive. Mabuza is deceased; these are untested allegations and Mashaba is presumed innocent.
Questioned over a June 2019 message urging Nku to 'look after Faith', his new community-safety MEC.
The commission put to Mashaba a 4 June 2019 message in which he told Nku, 'I want us to look after Faith. She is now my MEC. Things are going to change for the best and beneficial to me', days after Faith Mazibuko was appointed Gauteng MEC for Community Safety. Asked what 'work' he and Nku would do to 'look after' her, Mashaba accepted it referred to their 'side hustle' but declined to explain further. Mazibuko is not a commission witness; these are untested allegations and all named are presumed innocent.
The chair told him outright that his account of Nku as a mere informer did not hold.
On his final day, chairperson Mbuyiseli Madlanga told Mashaba directly, 'you are being untruthful', putting it to him that the volume of WhatsApp chats with Nku - including evidence that Nku was making payments to him - showed a relationship far beyond the informer role he claimed, and that his professed memory lapses were an attempt to avoid the inferences the commission might draw. Mashaba repeatedly answered 'no comment'. The commission's findings are still to be made; he is presumed innocent.
Accepted, under Madlanga's questioning, that the Criminal Procedure Act did not expand his authority.
Mashaba had argued that the Criminal Procedure Act empowered him to search, seize and arrest much like the police, beyond the mandate of a traffic officer. Chairperson Madlanga walked him through why the Act only sets out HOW such powers are exercised, not WHICH offences a traffic officer may act on, and that reading it his way 'would make nonsense' of the specified powers. Mashaba ultimately conceded: 'I accept.' Commissioner Khumalo separately warned him that a commission draws inferences on the balance of probabilities - it is not a criminal court requiring proof beyond reasonable doubt - so declining to comment could invite adverse findings.
On the stand
Connections
Businessman; alleged Aeroton consignment contact
Nku tipped Mashaba to the Durban cocaine truck and, the commission heard, made payments to him; their WhatsApp chats drove the cross-examination in which Madlanga told Mashaba he was 'being untruthful'. Nku testifies from 17 June 2026. Untested allegations.
View profile →Accuses of taking creditDeputy head, SAPS Crime Intelligence (suspended)
Mashaba testified that Khan tried to take credit for the Aeroton bust and did not get the briefing from his team. Khan denies wrongdoing; untested allegations.
View profile →Same Aeroton sceneHawks narcotics team leader (SANEB)
Both were present in connection with the 2021 Aeroton bust and gave evidence on the disputed control of the scene and senior-officer interference.
View profile →Same investigationSenior Hawks investigator
Sebola's evidence matched a 'General Mashaba of Hawks' contact in Tumelo Nku's saved screenshots to Mashaba by cellphone number.
View profile →Related caseThe case file that ties these witnesses together.
Open case file →Exhibits
Sources
