The Madlanga Commission established by President Cyril Ramaphosa to investigate allegations by KwaZulu-Natal top cop Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi will not commence next week as had been planned.
According to the commission's spokesperson Jeremy Michaels, they will reschedule to a later date due to delays in the procurement of vital infrastructure.
In statement released on Tuesday, Michaels said when they stated last week they would commence on September 1. This was based on “unequivocal commitments" made to it by the department of justice & constitutional development that the requirements would have been procured in time.
“Unfortunately, those commitments have not been met. As a result, it has since become clear that the commission will not be able to start the hearings as scheduled. But for the lack of the requirements that the department has failed to procure, the commission would otherwise have been ready to commence the hearings on September 1.
“Regrettably, the commission is now left with no choice but to reschedule the starting date. What is most regrettable is that a substantial portion of the three-month period at the end of which the commission is expected to submit an interim report has gone by without the commission having heard a single witness. This is not of the commission’s making."
Ramaphosa established the judicial commission of inquiry into criminality, political interference and corruption after Mkwanazi's explosive claims during a press briefing on July 6.
During the briefing, Mkhwanazi said that criminals had infiltrated law enforcement, state intelligence, the judiciary and associated institutions within the criminal justice system.
Ramaphosa then chose retired Constitutional Court Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga to chair it.
“The commission considers it best to fix a new date for the commencement of its hearings once everything that needs to be procured by the department is in place. It also wishes to assure South Africans that it is doing everything within its power to ensure that the first witness will take the stand as soon as possible after everything has been procured by the department," Michaels said.
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