By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
KwaZulu-Natal Hawks head Lesetja Senona has wrapped up his testimony before the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry, which is probing allegations of political interference and corruption within law enforcement.
The new witness was expected to take the stand on Friday, 30 January 2026.
However the commission postponed the hearings to Monday following a dispute by the witness legal team, over preparation time and the procedure.
The new witness is a member attached to Organised Crime in Gauteng, who reports to suspended deputy national police commissioner, Shadrack Sibiya.
He was previously named as a middleman in money dealings between Sibiya and criminally accused, Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala.
During the proceedings, his lawyer Hartley Ngoato of Ngoato Attorneys, appeared on behalf of the witness, told the commission that his client had received more than 4,000 documents from the commission and had not had adequate time to review the documents. Also the witness wanted to testify in-camera.
Ngoato further informed the commission that the defence team would not be ready by Monday. He cited his own unavailability over the weekend.
Commission chairperson Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga questioned Ngoato’s position. And he emphasised the national importance of the inquiry.
Ngoato, you’re a practitioner and I’m sitting with practitioners. Are you telling me that, as you are sitting here, you cannot make time to attend to this matter of national importance?” Madlanga asked.
In response, Ngoato said he recognised the urgency of the matter. But he maintained that his situation was unavoidable.
“I fully understand that in urgency there is no convenience, but it is a medical issue. I warned them, the evidence leader,” he said.
The commission adjourned briefly to deliberate before announcing its decision to grant a postponement.
“After careful consideration, we have taken a decision to postpone. But it will not be for as long as Advocate Ngoato had asked for,” Madlanga said.
The order was granted that the witness cannot be identified, and will now take the stand on Tuesday and testify partially in-camera.
Meanwhile, Acting Police Minister Firoz Cachalia has recommended placing the implicated officers in the commission’s interim report on precautionary suspension.
He said that in its interim report, the commission has found prima facie evidence of wrongdoing against five SAPS members.
“On the basis of that evidence, we are now able to initiate disciplinary processes as well as to set up a special investigation team with a mandate to investigate criminal conduct on the basis of these prima facie findings.”