Madlanga Commission to hold partially in-camera hearings for the next 3 days

Mapaballo Borotho

• The Madlanga Commission will hold partially in-camera hearings from 20–22 October 2025.

• Witnesses will testify remotely about criminal cartels and interference in investigations.

• The hearings follow allegations linking suspended Police Minister Senzo Mchunu to underworld figures.

The Judicial Commission of Inquiry into criminality, political interference and corruption in the criminal justice system, well known to many as the Madlanga Commission, will hold its hearing partially in camera for the next three days.

This was confirmed by the Commission’s spokesperson Jeremy Michaels on Sunday afternoon.

“The Commission will hold hearings partially in camera from 20 to 22 October 2025. Witnesses A, B and C will take the stand off camera from a remote location, but with voices audible,” said Michaels.

He confirmed that the public and the media will be able to access the auditorium at the Brudgette Mabandla Justice College, where the hearings will be taking place.

“The proceedings will be livestreamed, and the witnesses’ exhibits will be displayed live on screen as the witnesses testify. The transcript of the witnesses’ testimony will be publicly available after the witnesses have finished testifying. The Commission’s evidence leaders will explain the rationale for this arrangement at the start of proceedings at 09h30 on Monday.”

The hearings from 20 to 22 October 2025 are proceeding in line with the ruling handed down by Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga on 14 October 2025, as agreed by the evidence leaders and the lawyers representing Daily Maverick and Media24.

On 15 October 2025, Independent Online also consented to this agreement.

The witnesses will testify in relation to their experiences as detectives investigating crimes related to the criminal cartels which form the subject matter of the Commission’s investigations, and to the attempts that have been made to interfere with these investigations.

The Madlanga Commission was established by President Cyril Ramaphosa in July 2025, following explosive allegations by KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi about criminality in the judicial system.

Mkhwanazi accused suspended Police Minister Senzo Mchunu of being associated with dangerous underworld figures, among other things.

He also further accused him of disbanding the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT) unlawfully. Mchunu has since defended his image before the Parliament Ad Hoc Committee, citing that President Cyril Ramaphosa was briefed about his decision to disband the PKTT.