UPDATED: Witness F hospitalised, Madlanga Commission postpones testimony

Proceedings at theMadlanga Commissionwere briefly disrupted on Monday after Witness F, a member of the South African Police Service organised crime unit, requested a postponement of his testimony, citing medical reasons. A doctor’s note submitted to the commission indicated that Witness F had been hospitalised and was expected to be discharged by 25 February. On that basis, the commission agreed to reschedule his appearance for 16 March, which is set to be the final day of hearings.

The commission will resume on Wednesday to hear further testimony regardingallegations of corruptionand political interference in the criminal justice system, including infiltration by criminal networks, made by KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Nhlanhla Mkwanai last July. Witness Fappeared before the commissionover an audio call during the first week of February and testified about his role as a middleman between suspended deputy national police commissioner Shadrack Sibiya and businessman and alleged leader of the “Big 5” cartelVusimuzi “Cat“ Matlala. The witness told the commission that while he had facilitated meetings between Sibiya, Matlala, private security boss Steve Motshumi, Pretoria taxi boss Jothan Zanemvila “King Mswazi” and head of the KwaZulu-Natal Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (the Hawks) Lesetja Senona, he hadn’t been privy to their discussions.

After his testimony, Witness F filed an urgent interdict in the North Gauteng High Court in Pretoria to withdraw from further testimony at the commission, citing fears of self-incrimination. The application was subsequently withdrawn before his hospitalisation on Monday. The commission has heard explosive testimony in recent weeks, including claims of widespread corruption among some officers at the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department (EMPD).

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As a result, officers will undergo a criminal record vetting process overseen by city manager Kagiso Lerutla. Participation in the vetting process was mandatory and would entail biometric fingerprint scanning to ensure municipal law-enforcement personnel met the highest standards of integrity, the EMPD said. Former Ekurhuleni city managerImogen Mashaziconceded at the commission to not having taken appropriate action against suspended EMPD chief Julius Mkwanazi for signing an illegal memorandum of understanding with Matlala’s security company, Cat VIP Protection.

The memorandum led to the company’s vehicles being fitted with blue lights reserved for law enforcement. Ekurhuleni Mayor Nkosindiphile Xhakaza enacted the full suspension of the city’s head of legal services Kemi Behari and human resources head, Linda Qxasheka. Testimony at the commission accused the pair of shielding the EMPD’s Mkhwanazi from disciplinary action.

Mkhwanazi will also face a formal charge sheet for his role in the matter. Further allegations of impropriety against Mashazi have surfaced, including a R3.5 million three-day trip to London on a private jet. Mashazi, Mkhwanazi, Behari and Qxasheka are among several Ekurhuleni officialsrecommended for further investigationby President Cyril Ramaphosa who established a special task investigation team for this.

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