By Johnathan Paoli
The Madlanga Commission on Friday postponed the evidence of a key witness to Monday next week after a dispute over preparation time and procedure.
Chairperson Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga said the decision was guided by fairness and would require an extension of the commission’s work to avoid further disruption.
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The postponement followed an application by the witness’s lawyer, Hartley Ngoato of Ngoato Attorneys, who said his client was willing to testify but had not been given enough time to prepare to answer a large volume of evidence the commission intended to use in questioning.
Ngoato said substantial material had been delivered only days before the scheduled testimony and that the witness’s cellphone had been seized by police in October 2025, complicating access to evidence that includes WhatsApp messages.
He said his client’s “dignity is at stake” and that he needed adequate time to deal with serious allegations already aired publicly.
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Evidence leader Matthew Chaskalson SC opposed the postponement, saying the commission had been “excessively fair” and disputing Ngoato’s account of when the material was provided and how much of it the witness was expected to address.
Chaskalson said the witness had been given the documentation the commission intended to rely on for longer than claimed and argued that access to the documents did not depend on having the original phone.
Madlanga explored whether a shorter delay could work, but Chaskalson warned that any compromise short of the requested postponement would create significant scheduling problems and could push the evidence into mid-February unless the commission’s term was extended.
Madlanga ultimately postponed the witness’s testimony to Monday, saying the commission had to balance fairness to the witness with its mandate and timetable, and confirmed the delay would necessitate an extension of the commission’s work.
After granting the postponement, Madlanga adjourned the public sitting as the commission began hearing a closed session on the witness’s further request to testify remotely and in camera, with identity protection.
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