Commission hears allegations of corruption linked to police operation in Durban
IPID has told the Madlanga Commission that Hawks Colonel Deena Govender and his wife were linked to deposits and payments totalling about R2.7 million around the period of a Durban police operation that left five men dead. No link between the money and the killings has been established.
The Madlanga Commission heard allegations of corruption linked to a 2023 police operation in Durban on Wednesday. Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) deputy director in KwaZulu-Natal, Len John, revealed during his testimony that Colonel Deena Govender, a Hawks police officer, was connected to a financial trail totaling R2.7 million. This came to light after Bevan Loftus was killed in the operation, which resulted in the deaths of four others.
John explained that bank records showed substantial cash deposits into accounts belonging to Govender and his wife, who also worked for the South African Police Service (SAPS). Between August 29, 2022 and December 18, 2023, R2,053,650 was deposited into their accounts. Additionally, R2,433,450 was spent on the purchase of a property in Isibaya and related costs. Govender's monthly salary at the time was less than R26,000.
The financial evidence is significant due to a prior incident involving Loftus's father, Gregory Loftus, who sought a court order to prevent Govender and SAPS from killing his son in March 2022. Gregory Loftus alleged that Clive Naicker had promised R2.5 million for this act. The allegations about the five men killed during the operation remain unproven, but the commission must now determine if the police account of the shooting is supported by the evidence and if there is any connection between the financial transactions involving Govender and the operation. No final findings have been made yet.
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