By Johnathan Paoli
All eyes will be on the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry on Monday morning when Lieutenant General Dumisani Khumalo, head of Crime Intelligence, takes the stand to testify on operational and administrative matters within the South African Police Service (SAPS).
On Friday, Justice Madlanga confirmed that Khumalo will appear before the commission at 9:30am, with the Pretoria Magistrate’s Court adjusting its schedule to accommodate his testimony.
“For the record, it has been reported to us that the issue of General Khumalo appearing in court on Monday, magistrate’s court, has been resolved with regard to his appearance before us at 9.30 on Monday,” commission head and acting deputy chief justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga said.
Khumalo was arrested in June at OR Tambo International Airport along with six senior police colleagues.
The group faces allegations of fraud, corruption, and misuse of intelligence funds.
His arrest, combined with his former leadership role in the PKTT, has made him a pivotal figure in the inquiry chaired by retired Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga.
Khumalo has emerged as one of the most controversial figures in the inquiry, and is expected to shed light on the workings of the disbanded Political Killings Task Team (PKTT) and the broader allegations of corruption in the security cluster.
The Commission, established by President Cyril Ramaphosa earlier this month, has already heard explosive claims from KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi who accused Police Minister Senzo Mchunu of disbanding the PKTT for political reasons and of having connections to crime syndicates.
National Commissioner Fannie Masemola and SAPS legal head Petronella van Rooyen both testified that the Minister had overstepped his mandate by interfering in operational decisions.
The testimony so far has shaken public confidence in the leadership of law enforcement.
Speaking on the sidelines of an ANC political school in Durban this weekend, former President Thabo Mbeki welcomed the inquiry’s revelations.
He praised Mkhwanazi’s courage to speak out and said the process was finally giving South Africans a true picture of the rot in the system.
Monday’s proceedings are likely to focus on how the PKTT operated, its successes and failures, and how Khumalo views the controversial decision to shut it down.
Beyond operational details, Khumalo is also expected to be pressed on the corruption allegations he faces.
The Commission, which only began hearings earlier this month on 17 September, has already faced its share of turbulence.
Reports surfaced this weekend that its chief evidence leader, senior counsel Terry Motau, may step down.
According to City Press, Motau has asked to be released from his duties, with Justice Madlanga reportedly having pleaded with Motau to reconsider, warning that his departure could destabilise the Commission at a critical early stage.
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