The Madlanga Commission of Inquiry has officially invited suspended Mpumalanga police commissioner Lieutenant General Semakaleng Daphney Manamela to submit a sworn affidavit and supporting evidence for her corruption claims.
“Accordingly, we invite you to submit a sworn statement to the Commission in which you draw its attention to any instances, known to you, of criminal syndicates infiltrating or influencing the SAPS and its investigations, and to provide detailed evidence in support of each instance,” reads a letter addressed to Manamela.

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The letter was signed by Dr Nolitha Vukuza, secretary of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Criminality, Political Interference, and Corruption in the Criminal Justice System (the Madlanga Commission).

The Commission is mandated to investigate claims of political interference and the infiltration of law enforcement by criminal syndicates. It was established by President Cyril Ramaphosa following allegations made by KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi during a press briefing on July 6 last year.

Manamela held a similar media briefing at the Southern Sun Mbombela on Sunday, April 19.
Among her claims, Manamela alleged that retired Mpumalanga deputy police commissioner Major General Botsotso Moukangwe confessed that he and national police commissioner General Fannie Masemola received R5m from Kaizer Chiefs boss Bobby Motaung.
She said the payment was intended to derail investigations into the January 2009 assassination of Mbombela Speaker Jimmy Mohlala.
Motaung was previously arrested on fraud charges related to contracts linked to the construction of the 2010 FIFA World Cup Mbombela Stadium.

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Mohlala was gunned down at his KaNyamazane home on January 3, 2009, after speaking out about alleged corruption in the stadium project.
Manamela further claimed that Motaung’s legal troubles were linked to Mohlala’s murder.
She also accused former police minister Bheki Cele of interfering in high-profile cases, including political killings in Mpumalanga.
In addition, she alleged that Ehlanzeni District police commissioner Major General Dorah Xaba helped

Rassie Nkune evade arrest despite knowing he was a wanted suspect.
Nkune is currently serving time for multiple murders, including that of Hillary Gardee, the daughter of EFF deputy president Godrich Gardee, who was killed in Mbombela in April 2022.
Manamela is scheduled to appear before a Board of Inquiry on May 4 and 5 to determine her fitness to hold office.

The board has also warned her that it may institute charges for holding a media briefing instead of reporting her claims through internal SAPS channels. In correspondence to her legal team, it described her public statements as reckless.
“The allegations your client made at her press conference are vexatious, defamatory, and have brought the SAPS into disrepute,” the board stated.
Manamela has previously been suspended on multiple occasions in 2023 and 2024 over allegations of maladministration, theft, corruption, and fraud.
Lowvelder sent questions to Manamela but had not received a response at the time of publication.