Forensic mix-up and AK-47 findings under scrutiny at Madlanga Commission

SAPS ballistics head Brigadier Mishak Mkhabela has told the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry that a clerical mistake in a forensic analyst’s affidavit led to confusion in a key murder investigation, but insisted the error did not affect the actual firearm findings.

The mistake, made by Captain Itumeleng Makgotloe, occurred in the affidavit relating to the 2024 murder of engineer Armand Swart. It wrongly cross-referenced bullets and cartridge cases, mixing up sections of the report. “The comparison results themselves were accurate, it was an issue of incorrect paragraph referencing,” Mkhabela explained.He told the commission that despite the paperwork error, laboratory tests clearly confirmed that 15 cartridge cases found at the scene were fired from the same AK-47 rifle recovered from the suspects’ vehicle. He added that forensic markings on the cartridges matched those in other violent cases, a pattern often seen with high-powered rifles circulating in criminal networks.

“The AK-47 is a preferred weapon among syndicates and taxi violence groups because of its firepower and availability,” he said. “We often see the same firearm linked to multiple murders in areas such as Ivory Park and Mamelodi.”Mkhabela said the affidavit confusion was discovered in January 2025 and corrected after an internal non-conformance review. He rejected claims that the error was part of deliberate sabotage. “If someone wanted to undermine the case, they would not have included positive ballistic links,” he said.He also warned that while digital systems like the Integrated Ballistics Identification System (IBIS) improve traceability, manual verification still causes major delays because of staff shortages. “The digital process is fast, but physical confirmation under a microscope is where bottlenecks occur,” Mkhabela noted.

The testimony highlighted both the fragility of forensic accuracy and the growing problem of AK-47 circulation in South Africa, raising renewed calls for tighter firearm control and better resourcing of police forensic units.