Saps ballistics expert Makgotloe in court on defeating the ends of justice and murder accessory charges

The South African Police Service (Saps) says a ballistics expert attached to the Forensic Science Laboratory faces charges including defeating the ends of justice and being an accessory after the fact to murder.

Captain Laurance Makgotloe made a brief appearance before the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court on Monday, 25 May 2026.

Bail

The matter was postponed to 2 June for a formal bail application. The matter is a Schedule One offence, which means the state has to prove why Makgotloe should remain behind bars.

Makgotloe was arrested by the Madlanga commission’s Recommendations Task Team on Friday, 22 May 2026, at his residence in Pretoria.

Allegations

According to police, the arrest relates to allegations of defeating the ends of justice in several high-profile murder cases currently under investigation, as well as evidence before the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry.

During the operation, the team seized several items belonging to the state, including ballistic reports, several rounds of ammunition, and other evidential material relevant to the investigations, spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said.

Suspension

Mathe said Makgotloe has not yet been suspended.

“In terms of suspension, I don’t think he is yet suspended. But we will be ensuring that the department’s internal processes kick in in line with our disciplinary regulations, and we will provide further details at a later stage. We have to follow due processes in terms of departmental investigations.”

Testimony

In October last year, Makgotloe testified before the Madlanga commission, focusing on the murder and crime reports that were tampered with by high-ranking officials.

Ballistics evidence at South Africa’s national forensic labs has come under sharp scrutiny at the Madlanga commission.

Makgotloe testified that firearms used in the murder of Vereeniging engineer Armand Swart were later linked to 20 other cases, including the high-profile killings of DJ Sumbody, DJ Vintos, Armand Swart, and businessman Don Tindleni.

Ballistic errors

A key ballistic report intended to establish those links was riddled with factual errors, omissions, and even incorrect case numbers.

Brigadier Mishak Mkabela, the national head of ballistics, defended the mistakes as “mere typos.” But detectives from the commission’s task team – including Witness B – alleged the errors were deliberate, designed to conceal connections between the Swart murder weapon and other high‑profile crimes.

Nothing sinister

Although Makgotloe admitted to making the errors, he said there was nothing sinister about his actions.

“I have been accused of informing the investigating officer that the Vereeniging and Bramley cases were linked to other high-profile cases when they collected the report in June 2024, Makgotloe said.

“I never made such a statement to the investigating officer. The only linkage I was aware of on that date was the firearm confiscated during the arrest of the suspect in Bramley on 17 April 2024, which was the same one used in the murder of the victim in Vereeniging.

“I never made such a statement to the investigating officer. The only linkage I was aware of on that date was the firearm confiscated during the arrest of the suspect in Bramley on 17 April 2024, which was the same one used in the murder of the victim in Vereeniging.

He said errors were a regular occurrence in his line of work and could only be corrected once flagged.

Controversy

The controversy deepened when Makgotloe claimed he was kidnapped by investigators demanding a corrected report.

Task team members insisted they were confronting him over misleading evidence.

At the heart of the dispute is whether the flawed report was the result of negligence or intentional obstruction.

The commission has heard starkly different accounts: one portraying sloppy paperwork, the other alleging deliberate manipulation to shield links between firearms and multiple murders.

Additional reporting by Vhahangwele Nemakonde