Madlanga commission adjourns as media houses oppose in-camera testimony

By Johnathan Paoli

The Madlanga Commission opened with a procedural dispute on Monday as two leading media outlets formally opposed an application to hear a witness’s testimony behind closed doors.

The dispute over whether parts of the inquiry should proceed in camera has reignited the debate between transparency and confidentiality in one of South Africa’s most closely watched investigations.

During a procedural exchange before the commission, evidence leader and senior counsel, Advocate Matthew Chaskalson, proposed a timetable for written arguments to be filed by both sides before the end of the day.

“With our answer, we would file any written argument that we thought might assist the Commission, and we’ve asked Mr. Du Plessis if his team would similarly file any written argument by five. Certainly from the evidence leader’s side, we would be happy for the Commissioners to make a ruling on paper, communicate that to us, so that