Cape Town – A Hawks warrant officer has told the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry that he had never participated in a large-scale container drug interception before being assigned to the 2021 operation that uncovered 27kg of cocaine.
Warrant Officer Mbongeleni Felix Mpangase, who was attached to the Hawks’ Serious Organised Crime Investigation Unit in Durban at the time of the seizure and now works on cold cases in Pietermaritzburg, testified before the commission on Friday.
The commission is investigating the theft of cocaine from the Hawks’ evidence store in Port Shepstone following the June 2021 drug seizure.
Reading from his affidavit, Mpangase said he was contacted by Lieutenant Colonel Gavin Jacob, who asked whether he was available to assist with an operation after Crime Intelligence received information about a container at the CHS depot in Isipingo that was believed to be carrying cocaine.
MADLANGA COMMISSION | Commissioner Khumalo questions Warrant Officer Mbongeleni Mpangase on the missing SAP 13 register entry on the 22nd, asking whether that is why he returned to Port Shepstone on the 23rd. Mpangase says he does not remember clearly, but if that is what is… pic.twitter.com/BWgR0uX258
— SABC News (@SABCNews) July 17, 2026
Mpangase told the commission that he immediately raised concerns because he had no prior experience dealing with that type of operation.
“I requested that Lieutenant Colonel Jacob also attend, as the Crime Intelligence operative was his, and I had no prior experience attending to such information,” he said.
“I stated that the information required someone who was experienced and well-versed in these types of operations.”
Despite his concerns, Mpangase was assigned to the operation, which resulted in the seizure of 27kg of cocaine.
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Compiled by Glaan Sibuyi
