The Madlanga Commission was told this week that members of KwaZulu‑Natal police task teams operated on behalf of criminal syndicates to carry out killings disguised as legitimate cash‑in‑transit (CIT) operations.
Allegations centred on Durban tow‑truck industry
Retired warrant officer Gregory Loftus told the commission his son, tow‑truck owner Bevan Loftus, was murdered by police in what he described as a bogus CIT operation, arranged at the behest of a rival and alleged drug dealer, Clive Naiker. Bevan operated a company with 12 vehicles based in Durban South.
“Bevan was murdered by the police under the guise of a legitimate police operation and at the instance of Clive Naiker,” Loftus said to the commission.
Loftus said his son had been in hiding after warnings that KZN CIT task team leader Captain Deena Govender intended to kill him. He told the commission he had sought legal protection, filing an application on 31 March 2023 to interdict Govender and the South African Police Service from harming his son. According to Loftus, the killing took place a day after that application was issued.
IPID links task team members and rival business owner
The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) KZN deputy director, Len John, told the commission his investigation into Bevan's killing implicated both Govender and Naiker.
John said his probe indicated a pattern in KZN where police task teams, acting on unverified tip‑offs from Crime Intelligence, executed operations that left no survivors and produced no case dockets to justify the lethal force used. He named multiple victims whom his investigation links to this modus operandi.
| Alleged victims | Status mentioned |
|---|---|
| Bevan Loftus | Killed; IPID implicated task team leader and rival |
| Ryan Santos | Named in IPID evidence |
| Chase Fynn | Named in IPID evidence |
| Michigan Hippolyte | Named in IPID evidence |
| Sihle Zondi | Named in IPID evidence |
Pattern of operations, says IPID
John told the commission task team members could not produce case dockets to substantiate the operations on which they acted. He argued there was considerable evidence suggesting Lt‑Col Govender had been "commissioned" by Naiker of Roadsta — a connection raised in the testimony — and that task teams had been involved in several murders presented as CIT incidents.
According to Loftus, his son had survived a prior assassination attempt by members of a gang known as "the Cartel" and that five of his drivers had been killed in separate incidents. Loftus told the commission that, despite witnesses to these attacks, no one had yet been charged.
Questions for policing and accountability
The allegations before the Madlanga Commission raise immediate questions about oversight of specialised police units in KZN, the reliability of Crime Intelligence tip‑offs used to authorise high‑risk operations, and the processes in place to preserve evidence when lethal force is used.
- IPID presented evidence linking task‑team members to multiple killings framed as CIT robberies.
- Families and witnesses say no charges have been laid in several of the incidents named.
- The commission will consider whether task teams were improperly co‑opted by organised crime to eliminate competitors.
The commission will continue to hear testimony as it examines these allegations. If substantiated, the claims point to a serious breakdown in law‑enforcement integrity, and could prompt criminal prosecutions and further institutional reform.
As proceedings unfold, affected families and communities in Durban South and elsewhere in KZN await clarity and accountability. The allegations underscore the urgency of ensuring independent investigations into deaths involving police operations, and of restoring public confidence in those authorised to use force in the province.
