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Today is exactly a year since KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi dropped the bombshell about criminality infiltrating the police and judicial system.
His claims led to the establishment of the Madlanga Commission which exposed further scandals that led to suspensions, resignations and possible death.
2025
July 6- Lt-Gen Mkhwanazi holds an impromptu media briefing where he alleges that senior police officers are working in cahoots with criminal cartels. He implicates the then police minister Senzo Mchunu and deputy police commissioner Gen Shadrack Sibiya for colluding with cartels to defeat the justice system. Other implicated figures were Vusimusi “Cat Matlala who would later become a central figure,
July 13- President Cyril Ramaphosa announces the establishment of the Madlanga Commission chaired by retired judge justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga as a body that would investigate Mkhwanazi’s allegations. The president also places Mchunu on suspension,
July 23- National Assembly agreed to establish Ad-hoc Committee to also probe Lt-Gen Mkhwanazi’s claims,
August 14 and 22 - Ad-hoc committee sat in parliament to discuss terms of reference for their inquiry,
September 14- Gen Sibiya was placed on immediate suspension after he tried to challenge his suspension through a court application at the high court in Pretoria.
September 17 - Madlanga holds its first sitting in Pretoria where Mkhwanazi reiterated the allegations he
made during the July 6 briefing. Mkhwanazi relayed to the commission how Matlala and other alleged criminals the police were investigating had close ties with senior police officials and had secured a multimillion tender with SAPS,
If the allegations of criminality, corruption, and political interference in the criminal justice system are proven true, it would “spell doom” for South Africa."
— Madlanga
October 7 - The ad hoc officially begins public hearings in Parliament and the 11-member committee is chaired by Soviet Lekganyane. Their first witness is Lt Gen Mkhwanazi who testifies over several days, detailing his concerns about the allegedly unlawful disbandment of the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT) and interference in police matters,
November 3 - Self-proclaimed police informant Brown Mogotsi survives an alleged assassination. The shooting happens few days before the date he was subpoenaed to appear at the Madlanga commission. Mogotsi would later be arrested for allegedly staging the shooting,
November 06- Suspended chief of Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department (EMPD) Jabulani Mapiyeye testify at Madlanga commission and tells the commission about how his subordinate Julius Mkhwanazi entered into a fraudulent memorandum with Matlala’s company on behalf of the city. This deal saw the city fitting blue lights into Matlala’s fleet. Mapiyeye further alleges that Mkhwanazi was protected by then city manager Imogen Mashazi working with head of legal Kemi Behari and head of HR Linda Gxasheka,
On November 11 - The city manager Kagiso Lerutla places Mkhwanazi immediate on suspension following allegations of his links with Matlala and the irregular appointments of 55 employees that he made,
November 14- A witness only then known as witness D testifies at the Madlanga commission and implicates Julius Mkhwanazi of cover-up of a murder case of a suspect who was tortured to death by EMPD officials and SAPS members during interrogation back in 2021,
December 5 - Witness D who was then identified as Marius Van Der Merwe was shot and killed in December in front of his family as he was opening his gate,
December 12&13- Ekurhuleni head of HR Linda Gxasheka and head of legal Kemi Behari were suspended following allegations that they protected Mkhwanazi.
December 16- The commission delivered its first interim report to president Cyril Ramaphosa, the report was not made public.
2026
January 30- President Ramaphosa revealed that according to Madlanga commission, 14 names had been referred for criminal investigations. They are Julius Mkhwanazi, Adrian McKenzie, Bafana Twala, Kesha-Lee Stals, , Imogen Mashazi, Linda Gxasheka, Kemi Behari, Chris Steyn, Etienne van der Walt, Lesetja Senona, Richard Shibiri, Mbangwa Nkhwashu, Fannie Nkosi and Rachel Matjeng.
A police investigation unit was also put together to investigate the allegations emerging from Madlanga commission. The report also suggests that police commissioner Gen Fannie Masemola should establish a task team that will investigate the allegations emerging from Madlanga commission.
February 5 and 6- SAPS Section Head for Quality Management Brig Rachel Matjeng testifies at the Madlanga commission and claims to have been the end user of Matlala’s services. She also claim to have been in an on and off romantic relationship with Matlala and that the gifts and money she got from Matlala were girlfriend allowances.
February 13- The police investigating team set up for for the commission makes its first with Brig Johannes Mkhabela who was nabbed for attempting to bribe a police officer,
March 9- President Ramaphosa extends the deadline for Madlanga commission seven days before the initial deadline he had given the commission. He extends it to August 2026.
March 14- A former police special task force member and snipper, Matipandile Sotheni is arrested for the murder of Witness D,
March 16- Alleged middleman between Sibiya and criminal network Sgt Fannie Nkosi appears at the Madlanga commission. His phone reveals that he was in conversations about attempts of tender manipulation with senior officials in Tshwane including MMC Kholofelo Morodi, CFO Gareth Mnisi and Tshwane metro police senior Umashi Dhlamini,
March 19- MMC Morodi was suspended after her name was implicated came up at the commission for allegedly leaking tender documents to Sgt Fannie Nkosi,
March 24- Twelve senior police officers are arrested for allegedly assisting Matlala get the SAPS tender. Most of them were part of the bid evaluation committee and were arrested for fraud and money laundering. They are Major-General Busisiwe Precious Temba, Brigadier Kirsty Jonker, Brigadier Petunia Reabetsoe Lenono (retired), Brigadier Onica Ofentse Tlhoale, Brigadier Rachel Matjeng, Brigadier Alpheus Thembinkosi Ngema, Brigadier Patrick Nethengwe, Colonel Tumisho Nehemiah Maleka, Colonel Nonjabulo Nomfundo Mngadi, Colonel Anton Paulsen, Colonel Natsenge Johannes Monyai and Captain Brian Cartwright,
March 27 - Tshwane CFO Gareth Mnisi is suspended following the allegations that rose from Madlanga commission wherein he was sharing details and plotting to manipulate a tender with Sgt Fannie Nkosi,
April 3- Sgt Fannie Nkosi was arrested for theft, defeating the ends of justice, unlawful possession of ammunition and possession of explosives,
April 18 and 19 - Julius Mkhwanazi and Kagiso Lerutla, the Ekurhuleni municipal manager, were arrested for impersonation and defeating the ends of justice. They were arrested by the team which is investigating allegations emerging from the Madlanga commission,
April 21- Police commissioner Gen Masemola appears before the Pretoria magistrates court through summons for contravention of Public funds management act linked to Matlala’s tender. The matter was then postponed to a date which he would appear with Matlala and 12 other officials that were arrested earlier,
May 10- Crime intelligence boss Feroz Khan and Gauteng head of Hawks were arrested Gauteng counter crime intelligence for dealing with precious stone, corruption and dealing with drugs. Khan had previously been implicated in 2021 drug bust but was later cleared by Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi during a disciplinary hearing.
May 29- The Madlanga commission delivered its second report to President Cyril Ramaphosa,
June 09- The Madlanga commission releases an application by Feroz Khan where he is asking court to interdict the commission from downloading information from his phone. In the application, EFF leader Julius Malema gets implicated for allegedly shielding Khan from misconduct,
June 25 - Matlala applies for his matter to be separated from the 12 SAPS senior officials earlier arrested for his tender. This paves a way for his plea and sentence agreement and in turn he intends to turn into state witness,
June 26- KwaZulu Natal Hawks head Gen Lesetja Senona, an associate of Matlala, resigns. Senona is being investigated for his role in the 2021 theft of 541kg of cocaine, worth an estimated R200m which was stolen at Hawks offices in what appears to be an inside job.
June 28 - Khan survives a shooting incident; the incident is three days before the date that was set for him to appear before Madlanga commission.
June 30 - Matjeng gets dismissed from the SAPS for dishonesty, money laundering and receiving gratification from Matlala,
July 01- The magistrate rejects the 8 year sentence that the state offered Matlala in a plea and sentence agreement with the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption in relation to fraud and corruption linked to the SAPS tender. The court instead proposes 12 years direct imprisonment. The matter gets postponed to July 13.
July 2- Madlanga subpoenas Matlala to appear before the commission tomorrow, July 7.
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