By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
President Cyril Ramaphosa has extended deadline for Madlanga Commission of Inquiry, investigating malfeasance and corruption in the criminal justice to submit the final report next year.
Vincent Magwenya, spokesperson to the president, said the new deadline allows the Commission to process additional evidence, including the testimony of various experts who have made recommendations relating to the commission’s terms of reference.
“President Ramaphosa once again expresses his deepest appreciation for the work conducted by the Commission as well as for the manner in which law enforcement agencies are following up on testimony emerging from Commission hearings,” said Magwenya.
The new deadline is now Monday, 25 January 2027, changed from 16 November 2026.
The latest extension comes as the commission continues its investigation into allegations of criminality, political interference and corruption within South Africa’s criminal justice system.
The inquiry was established by Ramaphosa after KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi made a series of serious allegations about interference and corruption within law-enforcement structures in July 2025. The commission is chaired by retired Constitutional Court Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga.
The commission handed its second interim report to Ramaphosa on 29 May, five months after submitting the first interim report in December 2025.
The Commission marked one year since its first public hearing on September 17, 2025.
Some of the highlights for the past year include:
• Documents: The hearings have produced 26 352 pages of oral testimony transcripts. There is other documentary evidentiary material, comprising 105 282 pages contained in 750 document bundles or files with necessary redactions.
• Hotline: The Commission’s hotline received 1894 telephone calls, of which 1472 (78%) concerned issues that did not relate to the Commission’s terms of reference. In addition, 4548 emails were received from members of the public, of which 3295 (72%) were out of scope.
• In-camera: Approximately 22 in-camera applications were considered, of which nineteen were granted. One of these was revoked, with the result that the witness concerned testified openly. Eight hearings were conducted fully in camera, one of which was subsequently made available to the public through the publication of a redacted transcript. Eleven hearings were conducted partially in camera.
• Litigation: The Commission has been party to three applications in the High Court. An application brought by Suliman Carrim was dismissed. Two separate applications brought by Major General Feroz Khan and Sergeant Fannie Nkosi were withdrawn.
• Recusal: One recusal application was brought against an Evidence Leader and was dismissed.
• Record: On 2 June 2026 (Day 111), the Commission heard evidence from the highest number of witnesses in a single day, namely five witnesses.
The inquiry was initially scheduled to sit for six months, but has been extended to probe widespread allegations of State capture in the South African Police Service (SAPS) and other municipal metro entities.