By Dylan Bettencourt
- Police told the Madlanga Commission that the guns used to kill engineer Armand Swart were linked to 20 other murders and major crimes.
- The same weapons are connected to the 2022 murder of DJ Sumbody and the attempted murder of influencer Tebogo Thobejane.
The guns used to kill Vereeniging engineer Armand Swart have been linked to at least 20 other murders and 24 violent crimes across Gauteng.
That evidence was revealed on Monday at the Madlanga Commission, where police ballistics boss Brigadier Mishak Mkhabela testified about the findings.
He confirmed that four guns recovered after Swart’s murder were matched to other shootings using the police’s Integrated Ballistics Identification System (IBIS) – a high-tech tool that compares bullets and cartridge cases to identify weapons used in multiple crimes.
Swart, a 29-year-old father of two, was shot 23 times outside his workplace in Vereeniging in April – allegedly by hitmen who mistook him for someone else.
Mkhabela said the same guns were used in the 2022 murder of popular musician DJ Oupa John Sefoka, known as DJ Sumbody, and his two bodyguards. They were also linked to the attempted murder of socialite Tebogo Thobejane.
Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said the firearms are now connected to at least 10 major cases, including murders and attempted murders.
Police confirmed that the suspects charged with Swart’s murder, businessman Vusimusi “Cat” Matlala, Musa Kekana and Tiego Mabusela, are also linked to the DJ Sumbody case.
Mkhabela said IBIS can identify possible gun matches within 24 hours, but final confirmation takes longer because only three skilled analysts are available to verify results under a microscope.
Pictured above: Engineer Armand Swart, whose murder has been linked to 20 others through ballistics tests.
Image source: File
