Evidence leaders applied to have evidence presented in-camera indefinitely.
The Madlanga commission of inquiry was delayed on Monday as two media houses sought to have the proceedings open to the public.
The commission – which is investigating allegations of criminality, corruption, and political interference in the justice system – resumed at the Brigitte Mabandla Justice College in Pretoria on Monday, having last sat on 2 October.
The commission’s hearings were previously hampered after the head of the police’s Crime Intelligence division, Dumisani Khumalo, fell ill.
The proceedings were also put on hold for a week to allow commissioner Sesi Baloyi to attend to her duties as a member of the Judicial Service Commission (JSC).
Madlanga commission delayed
Evidence leaders submitted an application on Monday for the hearings to be held entirely in private, barring both the media and the public from attending indefinitely.
However, two media houses decided to challenge this.
Charl du Plessis, from Willem de Klerk Attorneys, informed the commission that Daily Maverick and News24 would challenge the application and file written arguments.
“We are in the hands of the commission as to whether it would like to hear oral arguments from us tomorrow,” Du Plessis said.
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Retired judge and the commission’s chairperson, Mbuyiseli Madlanga, said he would give the media houses and the evidence leaders time to file their written arguments.
The commission’s proceedings were subsequently adjourned for the day.
“We will adjourn and await,” Madlanga said.
Witness testimony
To date, five witnesses have testified before the commission, including Khumalo; KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) police commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi; National police commissioner Fannie Masemola; and Petronella Margaretha van Rooyen, head of legal services in the police.
KZN Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Elaine Harrison, has also given her evidence.
Most of the witnesses have corroborated one another’s evidence, confirming that Police Minister Senzo Mchunu’s directive to disband the political killings task team exceeded his mandate.
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