The testimony of alleged drug trafficker and self-proclaimed police informant Tumelo Nku has once again been delayed at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry, with proceedings now expected to resume on Monday after a request was made for additional time to prepare a supplementary statement.
Nku has become one of the commission’s most closely watched witnesses as it investigates allegations of corruption, political interference and organised crime within South Africa’s policing structures.
His evidence centres on the controversial 2021 Aeroton drug bust, in which more than 700 kilograms of cocaine, estimated to be worth around R300 million, was seized from a truck travelling from Durban to Johannesburg.
Nku maintains that he acted as a confidential source who alerted Gauteng police to the cocaine shipment. However, evidence presented before the commission has painted a different picture, with investigators alleging he may have had a vested interest in the drugs and was involved in the trafficking network rather than assisting law enforcement.
His testimony on Thursday came under intense questioning from commission chairperson Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga and evidence leaders, particularly over the R60,000 found in his vehicle during the 2021 operation.
The commission has heard allegations that the cash may have been intended to pay police officers in exchange for access to the cocaine shipment, an allegation Nku denies. He has consistently insisted he was operating as an informer and not as a member of a drug syndicate.
Friday’s proceedings were expected to continue Nku’s cross-examination, but the hearing was halted after consultations between legal representatives and the witness led to a request for more time to finalise a supplementary statement. Justice Madlanga granted the application, postponing the matter until Monday.
