By Johnathan Paoli
The Madlanga Commission on Thursday marked a year of investigating alleged criminality, political interference and corruption in the criminal justice system, with the inquiry having heard from 110 witnesses over 174 days of hearings.
Commission spokesperson Jeremy Michaels said the milestone represented significant progress since the first hearing on 17 September 2025.
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“The Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Criminality, Political Interference and Corruption in the Criminal Justice System, commonly known as the Madlanga Commission, has made demonstrable progress since sitting for its first hearing exactly one year ago,” Michaels said.
President Cyril Ramaphosa announced on 13 July 2025 that a commission would be established following allegations made by KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi. It was formally appointed later that month.
Retired Constitutional Court Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga was appointed chairperson, with senior counsel Sesi Baloyi and Sandile Khumalo serving as co-commissioners.
The commission’s terms of reference include investigating whether criminal syndicates, including drug cartels, infiltrated or exerted undue influence over law enforcement and criminal justice institutions.
These include the South African Police Service, including Crime Intelligence and the Political Killings Task Team, the Johannesburg, Tshwane and Ekurhuleni metropolitan police departments, the National Prosecuting Authority, State Security Agency, Department of Correctional Services and the judiciary.
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The commission has produced 26,352 pages of oral testimony transcripts, while documentary evidence amounts to 105,282 pages contained in 750 bundles or files, subject to necessary redactions.
Of the 110 witnesses who have testified, 36 were SAPS officers and 25 were Hawks officers.
The commission also heard from four JMPD officers, eight EMPD officers and City of Ekurhuleni officials, six TMPD officers and City of Tshwane officials, and two Gauteng Traffic Department officers.
Seven IDAC and NPA officials, five IPID officials, two MPs, a Cabinet minister, 11 private individuals and three experts have also testified.
The commission’s hotline received 1,894 calls, although 1,472, or 78%, concerned matters outside its terms of reference.
It also received 4,548 emails from members of the public, with 3,295, or 72%, falling outside its mandate.
About 22 in-camera applications were considered, of which 19 were granted.
One was later revoked, allowing the affected witness to testify publicly.
Eight hearings were conducted entirely in camera, while 11 were partially closed.
One fully closed hearing was subsequently made public through a redacted transcript.
The commission has also faced legal challenges.
It was party to three High Court applications.
An application brought by businessman Suliman Carrim was dismissed, while separate applications brought by former Crime Intelligence deputy head Major-General Feroz Khan and SAPS Organised Crime Unit Sergeant Fannie Nkosi were withdrawn.
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A recusal application against one of the evidence leaders was also dismissed.
The commission highlighted the personal risks faced by people who have contributed to its work, specifically remembering Marius van der Merwe, who was assassinated in front of his family on 5 December 2025 after testifying as Witness D.
“We also remember the sacrifices made by countless brave individuals who have come forward to assist the Commission in its work, by offering information and testifying, sometimes at great risk to personal safety,” Michaels said.
The inquiry’s busiest day came on 2 June this year, when five witnesses testified on a single day.
The commission’s work has already triggered recommendations for disciplinary and criminal investigations.
In its second interim report, submitted to President Cyril Ramaphosa in May and publicly addressed by him in August, the commission recommended disciplinary proceedings and immediate criminal investigations into suspended Lieutenant-General Shadrack Sibiya, Witness G, suspended Sergeant Fannie Nkosi and Brown Mogotsi.
It also called for an investigation into an alleged off-the-books Crime Intelligence operation involving Mogotsi and Witness G. Mogotsi separately faces a perjury charge arising from an alleged shooting incident in Vosloorus.
The commission’s first interim report, submitted in December 2025, called for immediate criminal investigations, prosecution decisions and disciplinary action.
The report identified prima facie allegations of wrongdoing involving five SAPS officials and nine current or former Ekurhuleni Metro and municipal officials, with allegations ranging from criminality and corruption to fraud, murder and perjury.
Ramaphosa subsequently directed acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia and National Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola to establish a special investigations task team to urgently investigate those identified by the commission, while stressing that the allegations remained prima facie allegations rather than findings.
The commission is now entering the final weeks of public evidence, which is due to conclude on 2 October, before its final report is submitted to Ramaphosa by 16 November.
It said it would continue its investigation “without fear, favour or prejudice”, while thanking its staff, security personnel, state institutions, media and the public for supporting its work.
