The public hearings, which commenced in mid-September 2025, immediately began to reveal the contours of the alleged political interference and the infiltration of organised crime.
Evidence of political meddling The initial phase of the hearings focused on the core allegations made by Lieutenant General Mkhwanazi. Mkhwanazi provided detailed evidence, outlining the political interference and questionable instructions he received from senior government officials regarding police operations. Following Mkhwanazi, National Commissioner of the South African Police Service, General
Fannie Masemola, gave evidence on 22 September 2025 in
Pretoria. Masemola's testimony focused primarily on the operational and administrative decisions surrounding the alleged interference, including the executive decision to disband the KwaZulu-Natal Political Killings Task Team. Crucially, Masemola's submission largely corroborated Mkhwanazi's initial claims. This official validation from the head of the SAPS was a pivotal development, elevating Mkhwanazi's concerns from a political disagreement to an accepted fact among senior police leadership, thus solidifying the factual basis for the inquiry.
The infiltration of organised crime: Testimony on the "Big Five" cartel The trajectory of the inquiry shifted significantly on 29 September 2025, when Crime Intelligence boss Lieutenant General Dumisani Khumalo took the stand. Khumalo's testimony provided detailed information on the infiltration of the state apparatus by sophisticated organised criminal entities. Khumalo introduced evidence concerning a sophisticated syndicate labeled the "
Big Five," also referred to as the "Cartel," which operates primarily out of Gauteng. This evidential disclosure fundamentally redefined the commission's focus, confirming the need for the specific terms of reference addressing the "facilitation of organised crime". The revelations confirmed that the state's systemic failure was not limited to political corruption but involved state capture by violent criminal networks, directly impacting public safety and economic integrity.
Testimony behind closed doors The commission's evidence leaders argue that closed sessions (closed to the public and media) are necessary to protect the safety of key witnesses who will implicate a criminal cartel, as well as to safeguard sensitive investigative techniques.
Daily Maverick and
News24 have launched a legal challenge against the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry's application to hold a week of its hearings "in camera". The media houses oppose this, citing the constitutional principle of open justice and arguing that a compromise should allow decisions on closure to be made on a case-by-case basis.
Continuation of the commission The recent focus of the Madlanga Commission centered on
WhatsApp chats alleging corruption between alleged drug cartel member Vusimuzi "Cat" Matlala and senior government and police officials. Testimony from "Witness X" revealed a beneficial relationship between Matlala and KwaZulu-Natal Hawks head Major-General
Lesetja Senona, alleging Senona shared confidential police information with Matlala and discussed him facilitating a property deal for his son. The chats further showed Matlala's influence, as he asked
Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department Deputy Police Chief
Julius Mkhwanazi to "assist" and "intervene" in a speeding arrest for Matlala's driver, which Mkhwanazi allegedly did.
Assassination of Witness D On 5 December 2025
Marius van der Merwe, the owner of a private security company and known by the commission as "Witness D", was shot outside of his home in
Brakpan. Van der Merwe was with his wife and children when two men, allegedly driving a
Nissan NP200 pickup approached the man and shot him with
AK-47s. Van der Merwe testified to the commission about Mkhwanazi's and Matlala's involvement in the coverup, torture and murder of a robbery suspect in 2022. The suspect had apparently had a plastic bag put over his head to suffocate him until he confessed to the robbery. When the suspect died, van der Merwe testified that he was instructed by Mkhwanazi to dispose of the body and when the body was found later in a reservoir in
Nigel, police informant
Jaco Hanekom told the witness that Mkhwanazi would cover up the situation.
Glynnis Breytenbach of the
Democratic Alliance released a statement with a similar message. Justice Minister
Mmamoloko Kubayi defended the government's witness protection program and the security provided to commission witnesses, placing blame on the South African media for discovering Witness D's identity. After van der Merwe was killed, media sources began to place doubt on the continuation of the commission and speculated about the safety of other commission witnesses and other whistleblowers.
Assassination of Jaco Hanekom Jaco Hanekom, a police informant, was killed in March 2023 after witnessing an illegal EMPD copper raid in
Meyerton, which was outside its operational area. In 2022, Hanekom obtained CCTV footage allegedly showing EMPD officers conducting an unauthorized operation at a workshop outside the municipality's lawful policing area. The footage was said to depict the seizure of copper cable under the guise of a police operation. Rovo Spies testified at the commission that the operation shown in the footage was not recorded in official EMPD documentation and lacked a lawful basis, characterizing it as criminal rather than a legitimate law-enforcement action. He also indicated that acting deputy EMPD Chief,
Julius Mkhwanazi was also at the scene. Hanekom was killed a few days after the officers who were accused of the theft of the copper in Meyerton got bail. == Arrests ==