A retired South African Police Service (SAPS) operations commander has challenged the accounts given by officers involved in the fatal shooting at a Berea flat in Durban in April 2023, telling the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry that the physical evidence and the scene’s configuration do not align with their statements.
Expert says firing pattern, number of rounds inconsistent
Captain Ashley Houston, who is also a professional marksman and said he arrived early at the scene after receiving a radio call at about 13:20 on 1 April 2023, told the commission that the combined number of rounds the officers reported firing was difficult to reconcile with what he observed.
According to reporting by Johnathan Paoli, Houston said he reviewed statements from the five officers involved and examined photographs from the flat. The officers’ accounts, he said, described an almost simultaneous discharge of their weapons. The combined total recorded in those statements was 28 rounds.
“Given the size and configuration of the flat, ie the corridor, the kitchen, the lounge and the balcony, I find it highly improbable that the shooting went down as described in the officers’ statements,” Houston said.
Houston told the commission that, given his experience in firearms training and tactical operations, he found the alleged exchange of fire to be an example of what he described as “overkill”. He said that if the incident had occurred as the officers stated, some members of the SAPS task team would likely have been wounded or killed during the exchange.
Discrepancies in reported weapon discharge
The statements Houston reviewed attributed the following discharges to the officers on the scene, as reported by Johnathan Paoli:
- Captain Pedro Rodrigues – 12 rounds from an R1 rifle
- Constable Matthew Rodger Halford – 10 rounds from an R5 rifle
- National Intervention Unit member Yogandram Megan Munsami – a stun grenade and 1 round
- NIU member Michael Menzi Shabalala – 3 rounds from an R5 rifle
- Metro Police officer Jevon Lee China – 2 rounds from an LM-series rifle
Houston said photographic evidence suggested many shots were fired from a low position, which he said did not fit with the officers’ narrative of an exchange. He also noted the tight layout of the flat — made up of a corridor, kitchen, lounge and balcony — as a factor that made the purported sequence of events unlikely.
| Officer | Reported weapon | Reported rounds |
|---|---|---|
| Captain Pedro Rodrigues | R1 rifle | 12 |
| Constable Matthew Rodger Halford | R5 rifle | 10 |
| Yogandram Megan Munsami (NIU) | Stun grenade + firearm | 1 |
| Michael Menzi Shabalala (NIU) | R5 rifle | 3 |
| Jevon Lee China (Metro Police) | LM-series rifle | 2 |
Implications for the inquiry and accountability
The hearing is part of the wider Madlanga Commission of Inquiry, established to examine state capture and related matters; the testimony forms part of an effort to establish the facts surrounding a shooting that left five men dead, including former tow-truck operator Bevan Loftus.
Houston’s evidence raises questions about the consistency of the officers’ statements, the trajectory and origin of shots fired and whether the physical and photographic evidence at the scene supports the version of events provided by the officers. He said the configuration of the flat would likely have exposed some of the officers to return fire if the incident had unfolded as described.
The commission will consider Houston’s technical assessment alongside other evidence, including forensic analysis and the officers’ testimony. Any further findings, and any potential consequences for those involved, will depend on the commission’s final determinations and subsequent legal processes.
No criminal convictions arise from testimony alone: the commission’s role is fact-finding, and any allegations against individual officers remain to be tested in the appropriate forums.
