The Madlanga Commission of Inquiry said it’s all systems go for its first public hearing scheduled for Wednesday. The commission is probing Criminality, Political Interference and Corruption in the Criminal Justice System, following allegations made by KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner, Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, who’s expected to be the first witness.
The budget for the hearing has been set at R147.8 million, but the figure is rising, due to unforeseen circumstances.
The first sitting of the hearing was postponed earlier this month, as the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development failed to procure IT infrastructure, which led to the suspension of two senior officials from the department.
The hearings will be held at the Bridgette Mabandla Justice College in Pretoria, and those wishing to attend, have been advised to make prior arrangements and arrive on time, as the hearing is expected to draw large crowds.
This as there’ll be strengthened security measures at the venue, given some of the explosive allegations made by Mkhwanazi.
“The seating for members of the public is limited to 300. People attending will be seated on a first come, first served basis.Therefore, members of the public must arrive early if they wish to secure a seat. An additional reason for early arrival is that strict access control measures will be in place, and no unauthorised entry will be permitted,” said the commission spokesperson, Jeremy Michaels.
He also cautioned members of the public about the limited parking space at the Justice College.
Meanwhile, the uMkhonto weSizwe (MK) Party and its president Jacob Zuma, are heading to court to stop the commencement of the commission.
The party is challenging the commission’s legality, establishment and composition, and the case is expected to be heard on Thursday by a full bench of the Pretoria High Court.
“We reiterate that it is patently unlawful and irrational for President Cyril Ramaphosa to appoint a sitting judge to head a Commission tasked with investigating allegations that directly implicate members of the judiciary in corruption, gangsterism and criminal syndicates. This egregious conflict of interest ensures that the Commission can never command legitimacy, independence, or public confidence. Its findings are pre-tainted and will amount to nothing more than an expensive political smokescreen,” said MK spokesperson, Nhlamulo Ndhlela.
The party is also challenging the appointment of Professor Firoz Cachalia, as the acting Minister of Police, and the suspension of his predecessor, Senzo Mchunu.
“Equally unlawful is the purported appointment of Firoz Cachalia as acting Minister of Police, an unconstitutional usurpation of executive authority compounded by Ramaphosa’s arbitrary side-lining of Minister Senzo Mchunu under the guise of a leave of absence.
“These reckless and unlawful acts will be subject to judicial scrutiny on 18 and 19 September, where we are confident that a court of law will strike them down as invalid, irrational, and unconstitutional,” remarked the spokesperson.
In addition, Ndhlela called on Judge Madlanga to postpone the start of the commission, until the court has ruled on its legality and other substantive matters.
