Legal expert Elton Hart says alleged political fixer Brown Mogotsi’s attempt to have the Madlanga Commission’s chief evidence leader, Advocate Matthew Chaskalson SC, recused is unlikely to succeed and could significantly delay proceedings at the high-profile inquiry. Hart was speaking in an interview with Newzroom Afrika on Friday after Mogotsi formally applied for Chaskalson’s removal from proceedings involving his testimony before the commission chaired by Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga. The commission was established to investigate allegations of corruption, criminal syndicates and…

Suspended SAPS officer Sergeant Fannie Nkosi is facing fresh criminal charges after investigators accused him of interfering with police evidence and obstructing the administration of justice. The South African Police Service (SAPS) confirmed that Nkosi will appear before the Thohoyandou Magistrate’s Court on Friday on additional charges of defeating and obstructing the course of justice. The matter is being investigated by the Commission’s Recommendations Investigative Task Team, which was established to pursue criminal cases arising from the Madlanga Commission of…

The City of Ekurhuleni has confirmed it has entered into a settlement agreement with senior official Xolani Prince Nciza following an internal probe triggered by revelations at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry. In a media statement issued on Wednesday, the metro said it was compelled to investigate matters relating to Nciza after issues concerning his qualifications surfaced during proceedings at the commission, which is probing governance and law enforcement failures. As part of the investigation, the City engaged the relevant…

Proceedings at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry resumed on Wednesday morning after a fire alarm triggered a temporary evacuation at Brigitte Mabandla College shortly after 7 am. Officials, staff, and members of the media were evacuated as a precaution when the alarm was discharged inside the building. Emergency and fire response teams swiftly attended the scene and later declared it safe, allowing the commission’s work to continue. Authorities have confirmed that no injuries or damage were reported, and an investigation…

The family of slain Mpumalanga woman Hillary Gardee has intensified its call for accountability, widening its focus beyond their daughter’s murder to what it describes as a deepening crisis of unresolved killings linked to alleged police corruption in the province. In a follow up to their recent legal push, the family says the issue now speaks to a broader pattern of failed investigations into both political and non-political murders, with claims of sabotage, human trafficking and extortion involving senior police…

The family of slain Mpumalanga woman Hillary Gardee has escalated its fight for justice, formally appealing to President Cyril Ramaphosa to intervene and expand the scope of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Criminality, Political Interference and Corruption in the Criminal Justice System, commonly known as the Madlanga Commission. Hillary Gardee was the daughter of Godrich Gardee, the Deputy President of the Economic Freedom Fighters. Her murder in April 2022 shocked the country after she was kidnapped outside a shopping…

As the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry enters its critical final phase in April 2026, it has become a laboratory for a disturbing new form of legal defence: “digital denialism.” From the high-stakes testimony about the “Big Five” cartel to the shadowy dealings of figures like Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala, a familiar, defiant refrain echoes through the hearings: “Produce the evidence.” This defiance often comes even as the Commission is presented with clear, timestamped WhatsApp conversations and geolocated data. To the layperson, this…

Matipandile Sotheni (41) appeared in the Brakpan Magistrate’s Court on Monday in connection with the killing of a key witness who had testified at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry. Sotheni faces charges of conspiracy to commit murder, premeditated murder, three counts of attempted murder and unlawful possession of ammunition linked to the death of Marius van der Merwe, also known as “Witness D”. According to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), the charges stem from events that unfolded after Van der…

President Cyril Ramaphosa says he will wait for the Madlanga Commission to finish its work before deciding what to do about suspended Police Minister Senzo Mchunu. Mchunu was put on special leave last year after allegations of corruption and political interference were made against him. These claims are now being examined by the commission. Presidential spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said Mchunu still needs to return to the commission to complete his testimony. “He still has more evidence to give to the…

It is necessary to clarify from the outset: this opinion piece is not written by a political scientist but by a decolonial, Africana scholar. My interest lies not in the mere mechanics of “governance” or the liberal tropes of “good administration,” but in the more profound, more haunting questions of power, continuity, and the persistent coloniality that governs the South African state. For too long, the South African public has been fed a sanitised account of our transition; a narrative of…