By Johnathan Paoli
Alleged political fixer and North West businessman Brown Mogotsi is expected to be the first among several Persons of Interest (PoIs) to give his account after being implicated during Phase One of the Madlanga Commission.
The inquiry shifts into a decisive new stage on Tuesday as Phase Two of its proceedings formally begins.
Commission spokesperson Jeremy Michaels confirmed on Monday that the next phase will focus on testing allegations and allowing implicated individuals to respond under oath.
Phase Two opens on day 35 of the hearings and will begin with Mogotsi’s testimony, scheduled for 18 and 19 November.
Phase One centred on establishing the factual basis of the claims and corroborating allegations made by Lieutenant General Mkhwanazi, without yet interrogating or testing those assertions.
Phase Two will now move the process into a more rigorous and adversarial mode.
Individuals and institutional representatives named during Phase One have been invited, or compelled where necessary, to appear before the commission.
For the first time, these PoIs will have the opportunity to present their version of events and respond directly to allegations of criminality, political interference or corruption within the criminal justice system.
According to Michaels, all PoIs who have submitted written statements will be allowed to guide the commission through their statements without hostile questioning.
Only after they have completed this initial testimony will their evidence be formally tested by the commission’s evidence leaders, who will interrogate inconsistencies, omissions and counter-allegations emerging from Phase One.
“This process ensures that those implicated are heard, which is critical for fairness, and that their allegations are tested,” Michaels said.
He emphasised the commission’s commitment to procedural justice, confirming that Phase Two is expected to continue into early 2026.
Michaels said the commission will still hear a small number of remaining Phase One witnesses in the coming weeks.
Looking ahead, Phase Three will see Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi and other central witnesses return to the stand to respond to the explanations, defences and counterclaims raised by PoIs during Phase Two.
This stage will involve testing the original Phase One accounts and assessing them against the full body of evidence.
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