The public hearings for the Madlanga Commission officially began on Wednesday, 17 September 2025, at the Brigitte Mabandla Justice College in Pretoria.
KZN Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi opened the inquiry as the first witness, dropping bombshell allegations about criminal influence inside South Africa’s justice system.
Mkhwanazi told the commission that the country’s justice system is on the brink of collapse, blaming it on deep criminal infiltration in law enforcement, from police to judges. He claimed that investigations into political killings were shut down prematurely because of outside interference, undermining the work of dedicated teams.
On Day 2 of the Madlanga Commission, KZN police commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi warned that witnesses in political killings face “intimidation, violence, and even assassination.” He said fear has pushed many to abandon protection.
Mkhwanazi also criticised the shutdown of the political killings task team, saying its impact “cannot be overstated.” Of the 121 dockets moved to the Pretoria head office, five arrests were never carried out. He blamed interference, revealing, “people on the higher level of the syndicates… are behind the closures of dockets,” with politicians and business figures allegedly working to derail investigations.
The commissioner’s appearance follows a media briefing he gave in July, where he accused suspended Police Minister Senzo Mchunu of ties to criminal syndicates. He also revealed findings from a probe by Gauteng’s organised crime unit, pointing to a vast network of corrupt individuals—ranging from politicians and businesspeople to police and prosecutors—all allegedly linked to drug cartels.
