From allegations to accountability: Madlanga Commission to resume hearings this month

The Madlanga Commission is set to resume public hearings on January 26, after months of damning testimony and an interim report delivered to President Cyril Ramaphosa.

The commission, chaired by Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga, paused its work in December after submitting an interim report to Ramaphosa on December 17, three months after its first hearing on September 17, 2025.

The report followed testimony from Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi and a series of witnesses whose accounts pointed to entrenched criminal networks operating within law enforcement and municipal structures.

Commission spokesperson Jeremy Michaels said the hearings will continue from where they left off, entering Phase Two — a critical stage that allows individuals implicated during the initial hearings to respond under oath.

“The commission will hear evidence from persons implicated in the serious allegations made by Mkhwanazi and witnesses who corroborated those claims,” Michaels said.

The suspended Minister of Police, Senzo Mchunu, was the last witness to appear before the commission adjourned for the year-end recess.

Dozens more witnesses are expected over the coming months, as investigators, evidence leaders and support staff continue preparatory work behind the scenes.

Phase One focused on establishing a factual foundation for the allegations, with witnesses providing evidence that substantiated claims of corruption, interference and criminality.

That evidence, however, was not rigorously tested.

But phase two has opened the door to cross-examination, rebuttal and counter-allegations, while also allowing the commission to probe additional matters within its mandate.

A third phase will see Mkhwanazi and supporting witnesses recalled, subjecting their testimony to testing and giving them the opportunity to respond to new evidence.

Among the most significant figures who appeared late last year were suspended Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department chief Julius Mkhwanazi, former City of Ekurhuleni manager Imogen Mashazi, North West businessman Brown Mogotsi, and Marius van der Merwe — known as Witness D.

Van der Merwe’s testimony on police corruption and the disposal of human remains sent shockwaves through the hearings.

He was assassinated outside his Brakpan home on December 5, weeks after testifying.

kamogelo.moichela@iol.co.za

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