The Murder of Witness D: How DNA Unraveled South Africa’s Political Assassination Network
In 2019, a single hair follicle found on a steering wheel led to the unraveling of one of South Africa’s most sophisticated political assassination networks.

The DNA profile extracted from this microscopic evidence didn’t just link one killer to the crime—it connected three seemingly unrelated murdєrs of witnesses scheduled to testify before the Mad Langga Commission, an inquiry into corruption worth billions of rand.

Over the next 35 minutes, you’ll discover how forensic scientists used invisible biological traces to create courtroom evidence so strong that defense teams abandoned their strategies mid-trial.

We’ll explore the DNA collection methods that survived legal challenges, the technology that linked suspects across provincial borders, and the critical mistake assassins made that turned their perfect crimes into genetic confessions.

By the end, you’ll understand why this case fundamentally changed how South Africa prosecutes political violence and why similar techniques are now being used across 12 African nations in corruption investigations.

The Mad Langga Commission: Uncovering Deep Corruption
The Mad Langga Commission wasn’t just another government inquiry into financial mismanagement—it was formed to investigate a massive procurement scandal involving fraudulent contracts worth nearly 4 billion rand, which implicated senior politicians, law enforcement officials, and international arms dealers.

With subpoena power, witness protection authority, and direct links to the National Prosecuting Authority, the commission was a formidable force.

Three witnesses came forward, armed with documentary evidence, bank statements, encrypted communications, and ledgers that traced money from European shell companies directly into the accounts of sitting cabinet members.

These witnesses weren’t just anonymous tipsters—they were accountants, compliance officers, and a former intelligence operative who had kept meticulous records, anticipating the need for legal protection.

Each witness had been placed in safe houses, given new identities, and was scheduled to testify, potentially destroying careers and triggering criminal prosecutions reaching all the way to the president’s inner circle.

But within 47 days, all three witnesses were dead—initially ruled as accidents or random street crimes.

The first murdєr occurred on March 12, 2019, when Tabo Moina, a forensic accountant, was found in his vehicle with two gunshot wounds to the head.

The crime scene appeared professionally executed: no shell casings, no witnesses, and the body positioned to suggest suicide, though the angles were biomechanically impossible.

The killers, however, had made one critical oversight.

The Mistake That Led to a Breakthrough
While investigating Moina’s murdєr, the crime scene team noticed unusual discoloration patterns on the car’s steering wheel, suggesting recent contact.

They swabbed six distinct areas of the wheel using sterile cotton applicators, placing each swab into separate, sealed tubes, and transported them to the forensic science laboratory in Pretoria within hours.

This precise chain of custody proved crucial when defense teams later tried to argue contamination.

The DNA collection process followed strict protocols, ensuring that each sample was handled with the highest level of care to prevent cross-contamination.

The DNA profile extracted from the steering wheel produced a complete 15-marker profile, revealing a match that would go on to connect Moina’s murdєr to others.

The care and precision of the forensic team’s work would prove critical in exposing the killers.

Second Murder: Cipho Ratbeet and the Unlikely Connection
Just 41 days after Moina’s death, the second witness, Cipho Ratbeet, a compliance officer who had documented suspicious transactions, was murdєred in a botched carjacking in Durban.

Ratbeet was shot three times outside a shopping center, and his wallet and phone were taken to simulate a robbery.

However, investigators discovered something the local police had missed: the bullet trajectories indicated that the shooter had been inside Ratbeet’s vehicle before exiting to fire.

More importantly, investigators found hair samples in the back seat of the car and a bloody fingerprint on the passenger side door handle.

The blood didn’t match Ratbeet’s; it matched a different genetic profile.

This clue would prove to be another breakthrough in the case.

When investigators compared the DNA from Ratbeet’s vehicle with the profile from Moina’s murdєr, they found a match.

The two murdєrs, initially seen as separate, were now linked.

The DNA That Linked the Murders
Detective Captain Jonas Malongu, who had been tracking the witness lists for the Mad Langga Commission, recognized the pattern.

He formally requested cross-jurisdictional DNA comparisons between the two murdєr scenes, something that was not automatically done in separate investigations.

This decision to compare DNA samples led to a breakthrough that linked the murdєrs and the suspects across different provinces.

The forensic laboratory’s analysis revealed that the DNA from the steering wheel in Moina’s car and the DNA from Ratbeet’s vehicle matched with an astonishing degree of certainty—13 matching markers, with only two markers showing minor mutations.

This breakthrough proved that the same individual was responsible for both murdєrs.

The investigation expanded, leading to a deeper look at the suspects.

A Global Breakthrough in DNA and Forensic Technology
The investigation took a critical turn when DNA from both crime scenes was run through South Africa’s national forensic database, which contains profiles from convicted offenders, crime scenes, and arrestees.

Within 17 minutes, the system flagged a partial match to a profile from a 2014 armed robbery conviction.

The profile belonged to Manly Kumalo, a man who had served four years in prison and been released in 2018.

But the DNA wasn’t an exact match—it was close enough to suggest a familial relationship, pointing to Kumalo’s brother, Bongani Kumalo.

The investigation team quickly located Bongani Kumalo and obtained his DNA through a legal search of discarded cigarette butts, which matched the crime scene DNA across all 15 markers.

This led to the conclusion that Bongani was involved in the murdєrs, and the evidence began to mount against him.

The Connection to Political Corruption
The investigation into Kumalo also led to an examination of his financial activities.

Bank records revealed that he had received multiple payments, totaling over 750,000 rand, from shell companies connected to the political figures under investigation by the Mad Langga Commission.

Surveillance footage also showed him traveling with Theani Mazaboko, a former police officer dismissed for evidence tampering, around the time of the murdєrs.

Mazaboko’s DNA was also found at the crime scenes, strengthening the case against both men.

Forensic evidence, including blood spatter analysis, placed both suspects at the scene of the crimes.

This evidence, combined with electronic surveillance, painted a clear picture of coordinated criminal activity.

Kumalo and Mazaboko were not acting alone; they were part of a larger network designed to silence witnesses and protect those involved in the corruption exposed by the Mad Langga Commission.

A Systemic Breakdown and the Failure of Witness Protection
While the investigation was making significant strides, the failure of South Africa’s witness protection program became apparent.

All three of the Mad Langga witnesses had been placed in the highest level of protection, yet within weeks, they were all dead.

Investigators uncovered a series of leaks within the witness protection unit, which allowed the assassins to track the witnesses’ movements and attack when they were most vulnerable.

This failure to protect witnesses exposed a deeper issue within the system—corruption had infiltrated even the institutions meant to provide safety and justice.

The Convictions and Their Global Implications
The DNA evidence eventually led to the conviction of Bongani Kumalo, who received three life sentences for the murdєrs of the Mad Langga Commission witnesses.

Mazaboko also received a life sentence.

The security coordinator who had leaked witness information was sentenced to 20 years in prison.

However, the most significant convictions came later, when Deputy Minister Cebu Ciso Damini and two other officials were charged with conspiracy to commit murdєr.

These charges were based on financial records that linked payments from their controlled entities to the assassins.

This case marked the first time a sitting deputy minister in South Africa was convicted of ordering political assassinations, and the DNA evidence played a crucial role in securing these convictions.

The case set a precedent for future political violence investigations, not just in South Africa, but across Africa.

Twelve African nations have already requested technical assistance from South African forensic laboratories to establish DNA databases and train investigators.

The Expanding Role of DNA in Fighting Corruption
The Mad Langga case is a turning point in the use of forensic science in political assassination investigations.

The DNA evidence collected in this case was so methodically presented that it became irrefutable in court, leading to swift convictions.

The role of DNA in political violence investigations is now expanding beyond South Africa’s borders, influencing global approaches to tackling corruption and political violence.

The science behind DNA collection, differential extraction, and database matching has proven to be a game changer in solving politically motivated murdєrs.

And as forensic technology continues to evolve, so too will its ability to uncover the truth hidden in the most dangerous corners of corruption.