MK Party seeks to block Madlanga Commission of Inquiry, claiming the Commission is unlawful

Posted on September 15, 2025
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MK Party seeks to block Madlanga Commission of Inquiry, claiming the Commission is unlawful

Zuko Komisa

MKP seeks to block Madlanga Commission of Inquiry, claiming Commission is unlawful
Image: @YouTube video screenshot
  • The uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) is attempting to delay a corruption commission, claiming it’s an unlawful body with a conflict of interest.
  • The party and former President Jacob Zuma have filed a court challenge, arguing the commission is a political tactic to undermine their legal efforts.
  • The commission, which is investigating political interference in South Africa’s criminal justice system, is proceeding despite the legal challenge.

The uMkhonto weSizwe Party (MKP) has called for a judicial commission of inquiry into alleged corruption within the criminal justice system to be postponed, claiming the probe is unlawful. The party’s demand comes just ahead of the commission’s first public hearing, scheduled for Wednesday in Pretoria.

In a statement, MKP spokesperson Nhlamulo Ndhlela said the party and its leader, Jacob Zuma, have filed an application with the Gauteng High Court to challenge the commission’s legitimacy.

He claimed the commission, headed by Judge Mbuyiseli Madlanga, has a “blatant conflict of interest” because its mandate includes investigating allegations of corruption and criminal syndicates within the judiciary, and that its findings would therefore be compromised. Ndhlela asserted the mid-week start of the hearings was a “deliberate tactic” to undermine the MKP’s court challenge, which is due to be heard on Thursday.

The commission was established following explosive claims by KwaZulu-Natal SAPS Commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, who alleged political interference in the justice system. The allegations specifically targeted Police Minister Senzo Mchunu and Deputy SAPS Commissioner Shadrack Sibiya, accusing them of conspiring to disband the political killings task team. Ndhlela also claimed that the purported appointment of acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia was unlawful, a move exacerbated by the “arbitrary” removal of Minister Mchunu.

The MKP believes the court will declare the commission invalid, irrational, and unconstitutional. Furthermore, the party argued that the commission is a “pointless duplication” of the work of a parliamentary ad hoc committee, risking contradictory findings and sowing public confusion.

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