A fire alarm forced the evacuation of the Brigitte Mabandla Justice College in Pretoria on Monday morning, briefly disrupting proceedings at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry.
The alarm was activated on 17 August 2026, around an hour before corruption-accused tenderpreneur Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala was expected to testify. Attendees, staff and members of the media were moved outside while emergency services inspected the building.
Madlanga Commission building declared safe
The cause of the alarm was not immediately known. Tshwane Emergency Services responded to the scene as officials followed evacuation procedures.
Madlanga Commission spokesperson Jeremy Michaels said the building was later declared safe and confirmed that an investigation into the alarm had started.
Michaels said officials did not want to speculate about what caused the incident and would provide more information once the investigation had established the facts.
He also said the evacuation process went smoothly and no incidents were reported apart from the alarm itself.
Security heightened ahead of Matlala testimony
Security at the commission had already been increased ahead of Matlala’s scheduled appearance on Monday and Tuesday.
Michaels said security around the inquiry is always tight, but extra measures were put in place because Matlala is regarded as a key witness.
Questions have also been raised about the safety of Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga, fellow commissioners, the commission team and witnesses as the inquiry moves into a sensitive phase.
Michaels did not provide details about specific security arrangements, but said measures were in place to protect those involved in the proceedings.
Proceedings remain on track
Despite the disruption, the commission said its work remained on schedule.
Reports that taxi boss Joe “Ferrari” Sibanyoni could appear before the commission later in August were not confirmed. Michaels said the commission generally does not discuss whether a specific witness will appear unless an official announcement is made.
The fire alarm incident came shortly before Matlala’s highly anticipated testimony, with the commission maintaining that its premises were safe and operations could continue.
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