The commission was supposed to start on 1 September 2025.
The start of the Madlanga Judicial Commission of Inquiry into criminality, political interference and corruption in the Criminal Justice System has been delayed.
In a statement on Tuesday, the commission said it has yet to decide on a new date for the inquiry.
“The commission regrets to announce that its hearings will not commence on 1 September 2025 due to delays in the procurement of vital infrastructure,” Jeremy Michaels, the commission spokesperson, said on Tuesday.
Whose to blame?
The commission placed the blame squarely on the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development for the delays, claiming they had failed to meet the procurement deadlines.
In the media statement, the commission announced that its hearings would commence on 1 September 2025. It made this announcement based on unequivocal commitments made to it by the department that the requirements would have been procured in time.
“Unfortunately, those commitments have not been met. As a result, it has since become clear that the commission will not be able to start the hearings as scheduled. But for the lack of the requirements that the department has failed to procure, the commission would otherwise have been ready to commence the hearings on 1 September 2025,” Michaels said.
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New date
Michaels said the commission is now left with no choice but to reschedule the starting date.
“What is most regrettable is that a substantial portion of the three-month period at the end of which the commission is expected to submit an interim report has gone by without the commission having heard a single witness.
“The Commission considers it best to fix a new date for the commencement of its hearings once everything that needs to be procured by the department is in place.
“It also wishes to assure South Africans that it is doing everything within its power to ensure that the first witness will take the stand as soon as possible after everything has been procured by the department,” Michael said.
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Madlanga Commission
Chaired by former Constitutional Court (ConCourt) judge Mbuyiseli Madlanga, the inquiry has been tasked to investigate allegations of criminality, corruption, and political interference within South Africa’s criminal justice system.
The commission is expected to cost taxpayers an estimated R147.9 million.
This was revealed to The Citizen by the department of Justice and Constitutional Development spokesperson Terence Manase.
Its scope extends to major state institutions, including the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), the South African Police Service (Saps), and the State Security Agency (SSA).
The public hearings are scheduled to take place in Pretoria.
The commission has the authority to summon individuals for testimony, among other functions, as outlined in the terms of reference published in the Government Gazette last month.
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Allegations
President Cyril Ramaphosa established the Madlanga Commission after KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) police commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi’s explosive allegations.
Among these were claims that Police Minister Senzo Mchunu – currently on special leave – intervened to disband the political killings task team in order to shield individuals linked to politically connected crime syndicates.
Mkhwanazi further alleged Mchunu had connections to tenderpreneur Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala, a figure who previously held a now-cancelled R360 million police contract.
A parliamentary ad hoc committee has also been set up to investigate Mkhwanazi’s claims, operating separately from the judicial commission.
The commission is expected to deliver a preliminary report in three months and a final report within six months of its formation.
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