Durban — The father of a man shot dead by a KwaZulu‑Natal police task team told the Madlanga commission of inquiry on Thursday that police had constructed a false narrative to justify his son’s killing.
Father rejects drug and murder claims
Gregory Loftus, 61, gave evidence denying repeated police allegations that his son, Bevan Loftus, was involved in drug trafficking, murder or other serious crimes. He said Bevan earned a living from his towing and taxi business and lived modestly.
“There are allegations Bevan was involved in drugs and killing people. I deny that. As far as I know he lived from income received from his towing and taxi business. He did not live a flamboyant life. He lived modestly,”
Loftus told the commission he would have known if his son had been engaged in serious criminality and that the accusations were untrue. He further alleged the portrayal of his son and his associates as criminals was a deliberate cover‑up by police.
Allegation of a paid hit and an interdict
Evidence presented to the commission included reference to a cellphone recording in which the deceased confronted a man believed to be Clive Naicker. The commission heard an allegation that Naicker, described in testimony as a competitor in the tow‑trucking industry, had promised R2.5m to task team commander Col Deena Govender to have Bevan killed.
On Wednesday the panel heard from Len John, deputy director for investigations at the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) in KwaZulu‑Natal, who said that the day before Bevan was shot, his father had applied to the High Court for an interdict against Govender and the police to stop them “eliminating” Bevan.
What the commission is examining
The Madlanga commission is probing allegations of abuses tied to policing operations in the province. Testimony such as Mr Loftus’s adds to a body of evidence that the inquiry will consider when deciding whether law enforcement actions complied with the law and policing policy.
Key factual elements heard so far include:
- The shooting of Bevan Loftus by a KwaZulu‑Natal police task team in April 2023.
- Police allegations at the time that Bevan was a person of interest in offences including vehicle theft, attempted murder and murder.
- An IPID statement that the deceased’s father had sought court protection the day before the shooting.
- An allegation, supported by a cellphone recording played to the commission, that a competitor offered R2.5m for Bevan’s killing.
Local impact and wider concerns
The allegations lodged before the commission strike at public trust in policing operations. If a task team was used to settle commercial or personal disputes, or if officers colluded with private actors to target individuals, the implications are serious for policing integrity and for communities who expect protection under the law.
Relatives and business competitors in small‑scale industries such as towing can be particularly vulnerable when private disputes intersect with policing. The commission’s remit includes examining whether appropriate investigative and disciplinary processes were followed after the shooting, and whether IPID and other oversight bodies were able to act effectively.
What comes next
The Madlanga commission will continue to hear evidence, including from police officers and other witnesses. Its findings could lead to recommendations for criminal investigations, disciplinary action within the police service, or changes to how task teams operate in the province.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Shooting | April 2023 — member of KZN police task team involved |
| Interdict application | Filed to High Court the day before the shooting, according to IPID testimony |
| Alleged payment | R2.5m, claimed to have been offered to task team commander |
Members of the community watching the commission have expressed concern about the potential for abuse when specialised police units operate with limited transparency. Civil society groups and oversight agencies will be following the inquiry closely for indications that systemic weaknesses contributed to the death.
The commission’s hearings are part of a broader effort to strengthen police accountability in the province. For families who feel their loved ones were unjustly killed, the process offers an official forum to lay out evidence and seek redress.
As the Madlanga commission continues, further testimony is expected to clarify the sequence of events that led to Bevan Loftus’s death and whether internal policing procedures were compromised. The inquiry has the potential to reshape aspects of policing oversight in KwaZulu‑Natal.
(Reporting from KwaZulu‑Natal)
