Incorruptible’ Ex-Hawks Boss Godfrey Lebeya Concludes Madlanga Commission Testimony
Retired Hawks head Dr Godfrey Lebeya concluded his testimony before the Madlanga Commission after being given five minutes to make a closing statement.
Lebeya thanked the Commission for allowing him to tell his side of the story, saying the period since 6 July 2025 had not been easy and that having his name linked to the allegations created the impression that he was part of the “crooked cops”.
Lebeya said no one had ever suggested that he received money or gratification from anyone, insisting that he could not disappoint South Africans and describing himself as “incorruptible”.
He also told Witnesses A and B that they were not the only people who had faced difficult times for doing their jobs.
Lebeya said he viewed himself as a tool that could contribute to the development of the country, adding that the country’s leaders knew what his dream was. He was then excused after concluding his testimony.
Earlier on the day, a dramatic moment unfolded at the Madlanga Commission when a photograph identifying five alleged members of the so-called “Big Five” cartel was shown to former Hawks to Lebeya.
The photograph featured the feared Steven “Steve” Motsumi, Katiso “KT” Molefe, Ignatius Mothakathi, Andrew “Boy” Mthethwa and the late Jothan Zanemvula “King Mswazi” Msibi.
The names have featured in testimony and documentary evidence before the commission, but the allegations against them remain untested.
Molefe and Motsumi have been linked in evidence to the alleged “Big Five” network.
Molefe has also been accused in separate criminal proceedings, including murder charges, of which he is presumed innocent.
Motsumi has been linked to allegations involving confidential police information and an alleged plan to acquire cellphone interception technology.
Msibi, who died in 2024, has been described in commission evidence as a former alleged Big Five figure.
His phone became a major source of evidence, including WhatsApp messages concerning an alleged plan involving a cellphone “grabber”.
But when Lebeya was shown the photograph, his response was striking, saying he did not know the men.
That revelation comes as the commission examines allegations surrounding Molefe’s 2024 arrest and claims that Hawks officers were sent to the scene.
Lebeya denied knowing Molefe and rejected allegations that he deliberately deployed Hawks officers to interfere with the arrest.
He said he acted after receiving a call from businessman Malcolm X about alleged Hawks impersonators.
