Ad hoc committee asks for new extension as witness seeks to have her evidence scrapped

Ad hoc committee chairperson Soviet Lekganyane at Kgosi Mampuru Correctional Facility in Pretoria on 26 November 2025. Picture: Gallo Images/Lefty Shivambu Parliament’s ad hoc committee probing claims of corruption, criminal infiltration and political interference within South Africa’s justice system is facing growing pressure to wrap up its work, as divisions have emerged over timelines. The committee, which concluded its public hearings two weeks ago, is now tasked with compiling a final report for submission to the National Assembly.

Its last witness was KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi. At a virtual meeting on Tuesday, 31 March 2026, members of the committee debated whether more time is needed to complete the report. Committee chairperson Soviet Lekganyane confirmed that MPs had approached National Assembly Speaker Thoko Didiza to request an extension until the end of June.

“The speaker has already responded and the meeting will be informed on the number of days that the speaker has allocated to the committee,” Lekganyane said. However, parliamentary legal adviser Andile Tetyana revealed that the speaker was reluctant to approve such a lengthy delay. “She proposed that the date for submission of the report to the House should be 30 April,” Tetyana said.

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If approved, this would mark the fourth extension since the committee began its work on 7 October 2025. Previous deadlines were pushed from 31 October to 28 November, then to 20 February, and most recently to31 March.

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