By Johnathan Paoli
Suspended Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department deputy chief Julius Mkhwanazi’s return to the witness stand at the Madlanga Commission was postponed on Monday due to eye surgery and for his lawyer to get up to speed with proceedings.
Wearing dark glasses, Mkhwanazi appeared briefly before the commission for an application seeking additional time to prepare for the continuation of his testimony.
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His legal representative, attorney Nkosana Khumalo, told the commission he had only met Mkhwanazi on Sunday evening and required further time to prepare adequately for the hearing.
“In the interest of helping the commission to sufficiently come to the right conclusion regarding his testimony, we need the right amount of preparation,” Khumalo said.
Khumalo asked that Mkhwanazi be scheduled to testify on 23 March, explaining that documentation related to his evidence still needed to be processed and that his client was recovering from surgery.
He said Mkhwanazi had undergone an eye operation on 2 March and was scheduled for a second procedure this week.
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“By 23 March, he will be ready to testify,” Khumalo said.
Evidence leader Advocate Mahlape Sello said she would not oppose the application.
“In terms of the cogency of the argument, I do not have a base to raise an objection,” she said.
Commission chairman Mbuyiseli Madlanga granted the request and confirmed the date.
