Warrant Officer Marumo Magane, commander of the Crime Information Management and Analysis Centre at the SAPS Zonkizwe police station has been accused of drug trafficking during his testimony at Madlanga Commission of Inquiry.
Image: Rapula Moatshe/Independent Newspapers
Warrant Officer Marumo Magane, commander of the Crime Information Management and Analysis Centre at the SAPS Zonkizwe police station, came under fire for loading 750kg of cocaine bricks worth an estimated R300 million into his bakkie after the drug seizure in Aeroton.
He allegedly intended to transport them to drug traffickers.
This emerged during his testimony before the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry on Tuesday, where he was questioned about his role in handling the confiscated bags of suspected drugs.
The commission heard on Monday that in July 2021, Yellow Jersey Logistics transported cocaine bricks undetected from Durban Harbour to Johannesburg.
The drugs were concealed in a legitimate cargo of vehicle body parts destined for Scania South Africa in Aeroton, south of Johannesburg.
Magane was one of the first SAPS officers on the scene, alongside traffic officer Samuel Mashaba and Mashaba’s informant, Tumelo Nku.
Nku reportedly told Mashaba about the alleged drug smuggling in the truck. Mashaba then contacted Magane to assist with the bust.
Despite testifying that his primary role was office-bound at the police station, Magane agreed to attend.
He faced intense questioning over his actions at the scene, including removing bags from the shipping container and loading them onto his bakkie.
Co-commissioner Advocate Sesi Baloyi SC questioned why Magane lied to the officers dispatched after Scania workers called 10111 to report an alleged truck hijacking at their premises.
Magane had told the officers the exhibits would be taken to Alberton. He told the commission on Tuesday he was “just pulling their leg.”
The drugs were later taken to Booysens, then the SAPS College, and finally to the Forensic Science Laboratory for analysis. Part of the 750kg cocaine was later found missing while in police custody.
Baloyi said Magane never intended for the drugs to go to the Booysens police station.
“What it indicates is, and I want to suggest to you, there was no good intention on your part to get these drugs properly dealt with as prescribed by law. In fact, you had ulterior motives in putting them in that van, and you were going to take them where they would not be accounted for,” Baloyi said.
Magane said: “With all fairness, I don’t agree with the commissioner’s suggestion."
When asked why he did not call anyone from his police station for assistance, he said he knew they could not help because they had only one vehicle.
Magane said bags of suspected cocaine fell out of the container after it was opened, and he photographed the contents inside the truck.
He admitted that he failed to adhere to crime scene management protocol.
Baloyi said that happened either because Magane lacked experience in drug busts or because he was deliberately contaminating the scene.
“All that happened was not with the intention of contaminating the crime scene,” Magane said.
Co-commissioner Advocate Sandile Khumalo SC asked why Magane did not call the local crime record centre to attend and photograph the scene before the bags were removed.
Magane said he did call them, but only after the bags were taken from the container.
Khumalo asked: “After you and your team had put your fingerprints all over it?”
Magane replied: “That’s correct.”
He added that they also requested Scania employees to help remove the bags.
Magane’s testimony continues.