Justice Madlanga to decide on ANC member’s request for private testimony amid death threats

The Madlanga Commission of Inquiry will rule on Monday on whether ANC member and North West businessman Suliman Carrim will testify in-camera due to death threats he has received. Retired Constitutional Court Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga is expected to rule on Monday on whether North West businessman and ANC memberSuliman Carrimwill give his testimony in-camera due to death threats he has received. After a day of arguments at the Madlanga Judicial Commission of Inquiry between Carrim’s advocate Kameel Premhid and evidence leader Adila Cassim SC, as well as commission Chairperson Justice Madlanga, commissioners Sesi Baloyi SC and Sandile Khumalo SC, the matter was stood down until the ruling on Monday morning.

Premhid faced a torrid time trying to justify the reasons for his client’s request to testify in-camera due to safety concerns, as the commission believes he is known in public, as his face has appeared on television and print news reports. Carrim’s advocate had also wanted the preliminary points to be argued in-camera without details being beamed live on television and streamed on various platforms. Premhid argued before the commission that unknown people were threatening Carrim, his family, employees, and business interests, and that the matter had been reported to the South African Police Service (SAPS).

He said Carrim would like to testify without the public and some commission staff having access to his statement. Premhid also listed staff members such as the commission’s head of security and investigators, whom he wanted not to have access to his statement. Justice Madlangaruled on Friday that Carrim’s application must be heard publicly and that he would provide the reasons on Monday.

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Carrim’s evidence is set down to be heard on Monday and Tuesday. Earlier in the day, Premhid argued that Carrim did not want the statement made public and asked for a confidentiality regime like the one awarded in court proceedings, where participating parties are only given access to some parts of the record.

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