The Madlanga Commission says it has heard 32 witnesses over 64 days as it continues investigating allegations of corruption, political interference and criminality within South Africa’s criminal justice system.
Image: GCIS
The Madlanga Commission has submitted its Second Interim Report to President Cyril Ramaphosa and will resume public hearings on Monday, June 1, 2026, as its inquiry into allegations of criminality, political interference and corruption in the criminal justice system continues.
Commission spokesperson Jeremy Michaels confirmed the submission, saying the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Criminality, Political Interference and Corruption in the Criminal Justice System, commonly known as the Madlanga Commission, had delivered its Second Interim Report to the President.
The Commission, chaired by Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga and supported by Adv Sesi Baloyi SC and Adv Sandile Khumalo SC, was appointed on July 23, 2025 to investigate allegations made by KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Commissioner Lt-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi.
He said the Commission resumed its work on January 5, 2026 after a break following the submission of its First Interim Report on December 17, 2025, with public hearings resuming on January 26, 2026.
Michaels said that “since then, the Commission has heard 32 witnesses over 64 days of hearings covering the South African Police Service (SAPS), Ekhurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department (EMPD), and Tshwane Metropolitan Police Department (TMPD).”
He further confirmed that on March 12, 2026, Ramaphosa extended the Commission’s term from March 17 to August 31, 2026, requiring a Second Interim Report by May 29, 2026 and a Final Report by August 31, 2026.
Michaels said, “the Commission will resume its public hearings this coming Monday, June 1, 2026, with further testimony relating to the Port Shepstone drug bust.
He added that several witnesses who previously appeared before the Commission were expected to return, including suspended Police Minister Senzo Mchunu, Major-General Lesetja Senona and EMPD Deputy Chief Julius Mkhwanazi, among others, with additional witnesses having been subpoenaed.
He further said, “the inquiry will continue to run phases one and two in parallel, with phase one being the airing of allegations, and phase two broadly being the responses by implicated individuals to specific allegations against them as well as giving those implicated persons the opportunity to tell their side of the story.”
Michaels also said, “an announcement will be made in due course regarding phase three, which will see Lt-Gen Mkhwanazi, Lt-Gen Dumisani Khumalo and others return to the witness stand.”
Meanwhile, a witness expected to testify on Tuesday, June 2, 2026 has applied for permission for their evidence to be heard in-camera, or alternatively for their identity to be protected in terms of Rule 4.3.
In the application, the witness says they have a “genuine” fear for their physical safety and that of their family.
The witness further describes themselves as an undercover operative, stating: “I am an undercover/covert operative. My interaction, if any, is minimal based on the fact that I deal with contacts, sources and undercover agents.
''When meeting these people, my legend has to blend in and not be identified as a policeman so as to protect my identity, the people I meet and the integrity of the information/intelligence or operation.”
They add that they remain actively involved in covert operations and ongoing investigations into serious and violent crimes.
“I have to accompany members to meet sources, contacts and agents for briefing and debriefings. If I am exposed on TV, these investigations and future operations will be compromised as well as those of members and their sources, which can result in them being killed,” the witness said.
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