By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The Presidency has confirmed that the interim report of the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry into alleged criminality, political interference and corruption in the criminal justice system will not be released to the public.
The Commission is due to deliver an interim report to president Cyril Ramaphosa on 17 December 2025.
Ramaphosa established the commission to probe allegations of criminality, political interference and corruption in the criminal justice system, following a tell-all press conference by Kwazulu-Natal (KZN) commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi in July 6, 2025.
The report will provide progress on the work of the Commission which has since heard phase 1 of testimony which comprises of the main allegations as well as parts of phase 2 which comprises of implicated persons giving their version.
In a statement, presidency said, the interim report cannot be made public for safety and security reasons.
Mkhwanazi’s accusations centred around suspended police minister Senzo Mchunu after he issued a directive to disband the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT), in 31 December 2024.
He disbanded the team without consulting national police commissioner Fannie Masemola.
In December, Mchunu told the Madlanga Commission that as far back as 2019, a work study report had recommended integrating the PKTT into the SAPS Murder and Robbery Unit.
Mchunu stated that his 31 December 2024 directive to disband the unit was driven by his view that the unit had become “administratively untenable”. He claimed this assessment was reinforced by numerous complaints of human rights abuses submitted to him by civil society actors, whistleblowers, SAPS members, members of Parliament and members of the public.
Masemola told the Madlanga Commission that, at the time the contentious directive was issued, Mchunu had actually approved his festive-season annual leave.
Mchunu has argued that he acted within his powers when he disbanded the team and wasn’t infringing on police operational matters.
The questions over Mchunu’s apparently sudden decision to disband the PKTT stem from his links to Brown Mogotsi and Vusimuzi Matlala.
Mkhwanazi told the commission that someone had influenced Mchunu to disband the PKTT.
Evidence heard at both the Madlanga and Parliament’s ad hoc committee suggests that Mchunu then faced pressure to act against the PKTT because it was closing in on Matlala.
Mchunu has denied any links to Matlala and claimed that Mogotsi is “just a comrade” from whom he never “requested or received” anything.
But evidence before the Madlanga Commission painted a very different picture. A bleak account emerged during the cross-examination of Mogotsi on Thursday, 20 November, when evidence leader Matthew Chaskalson SC meticulously mapped out, step by step, how messages between Mchunu and Mogotsi were allegedly relayed to Matlala.
Matlala, accused of being part of the Big Five members of a drug cartel, allegedly financially supported Mchunu’s political ambitions.
Mchunu denied any wrongdoing, that he “stood ready to respond to the accusations” against him.
More accusations and counterclaims about policing will emerge when the Madlanga Commission and ad hoc committee resume in 2026.