The Madlanga Commission is the shortened name for the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Criminality, Political Interference and Corruption in the Criminal Justice System. It was established by proclamation by President Cyril Ramaphosa in July 2025, in the wake of the allegations made by the KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner.
The commission is chaired by retired Constitutional Court Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga, which is how it picked up its popular name. Its mandate is unusually broad for a single inquiry: it is tasked with investigating allegations of criminal infiltration, political meddling, and corruption across the institutions that are supposed to uphold the law, including the South African Police Service, the National Prosecuting Authority, elements of the judiciary, and correctional services.
Commissions of inquiry of this kind have significant legal powers. They can summon witnesses, compel the production of documents, and take evidence under oath. What they cannot do is hand down criminal convictions. Their role is to investigate, establish facts, and make recommendations, which may then feed into prosecutions, disciplinary processes, or institutional reform.
Why the commission was established
The story begins on 6 July 2025, when General Mkhwanazi held an extraordinary media briefing in which he alleged systematic political interference in police work. Among his claims were that a task team investigating political killings in KwaZulu-Natal had been disbanded, that case files had been removed or redirected, that criminal syndicates had infiltrated law enforcement and intelligence structures, and that politicians, businesspeople, prosecutors, and even judicial officers were entangled in networks of influence.
Days later, on 13 July, President Ramaphosa addressed the nation and announced the judicial commission, to be led by Justice Madlanga. In the same address, he placed Police Minister Senzo Mchunu on a leave of absence pending the outcome of the commission's work, and an acting minister was appointed to run the portfolio in the interim.
It is worth stressing the legal reality here: Mkhwanazi's claims were allegations, not findings. The entire purpose of the commission is to test them under oath, against documents and witnesses, in a public forum. That is precisely why the live hearings have drawn such intense attention — this is where the allegations either gather evidentiary weight or fall apart.
Who Justice Madlanga is
Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga brings considerable judicial weight to the proceedings. Before retiring from the bench in early 2025, he served for years on the Constitutional Court, having previously sat on the Supreme Court of Appeal. He is regarded as one of the sharpest legal minds of his generation, known for rigorous, plainly written judgments and a reputation for independence that spans the political spectrum.
That reputation matters. Commissions of inquiry live or die on public confidence in the person chairing them, and the choice of a recently retired senior judge was widely read as an attempt to insulate the process from claims of political capture — a central theme of the very allegations the commission must investigate.
Where to watch the Madlanga Commission live
For anyone wanting to follow the hearings as they happen, there are several reliable routes:
Television news channels. South Africa's major news broadcasters — SABC News, eNCA, and Newzroom Afrika — have carried the hearings live on television, as they customarily do with high-profile commissions. These channels are available on DStv and through the broadcasters' own streaming platforms.
YouTube live streams. The major newsrooms and, in most cases, the commission itself stream sessions on YouTube. Searching the channel names alongside "live" on the day of a sitting is usually the fastest way in. Streams are typically also archived, so if you miss a session live, the full recording is generally available afterward.
Radio and audio coverage. Talk radio stations frequently broadcast key sessions or provide rolling commentary and analysis, which is useful if you are driving or working during hearings.
Live blogs. News websites often run live blogs during testimony, combining real-time updates with context and legal explanation — helpful when proceedings involve dense evidence or extended cross-examination.
One practical caution: hearing schedules for commissions shift regularly. Sessions are sometimes postponed, moved, or extended at short notice for logistical or legal reasons, and the Madlanga Commission's timetable has already been adjusted more than once since its establishment. Before settling in to watch, confirm the day's schedule through the commission's official communications or a major news outlet rather than relying on an old timetable.
How the hearings actually work
If you have never watched a commission of inquiry, the format can seem slow at first. Sessions typically open with remarks from the chairperson, after which evidence leaders — the advocates employed by the commission to run its investigation — lead witnesses through their testimony. Witnesses speak under oath or affirmation. Legal representatives for implicated parties are entitled to question witnesses, which is where much of the drama, and much of the testing of evidence, takes place.
Hearings are generally held in public and broadcast live, reflecting the principle that transparency is the point. The Madlanga Commission has sat in Pretoria, with proceedings streamed nationally. Sessions run in blocks through the day with adjournments, and a single witness can occupy hours or even days if the evidence is complex or contested.
For viewers, a few things help. Witnesses range from senior officials to rank-and-file officers, and the significance of technical testimony — about docket management, intelligence structures, procurement processes, or prosecutorial decisions — is not always immediately obvious. Following a good live blog alongside the stream, or catching an evening analysis segment, makes the day's testimony far easier to interpret.
The key issues on the agenda
While the commission's mandate covers the entire criminal justice system, several threads have dominated public attention:
- The disbandment of the KwaZZu-Natal political killings task team and the handling of its case files, which sat at the heart of Mkhwanazi's original allegations.
- Alleged infiltration of police and intelligence structures by criminal syndicates, and the extent to which organised crime has corrupted investigations.
- Claims of political interference in operational policing decisions, including the relationship between the police ministry and senior police management.
- Allegations implicating prosecutors and judicial officers, which touch on the independence of the NPA and the courts.
- The role of private businesspeople alleged to have brokered influence within law enforcement and government.
Testimony on these themes carries obvious stakes. Findings could implicate serving and former officials, expose systemic weaknesses, and shape the debate over how South Africa shields its justice institutions from capture.
What happens after the hearings
Commissions of inquiry conclude by reporting their findings and recommendations to the President, who tabled the commission under his executive authority. The Madlanga Commission is expected to provide reporting to the President in phases, and it is common for such deadlines to be extended as the scale of the evidence becomes clear.
The commission's report cannot send anyone to prison. But its findings can trigger criminal referrals to the NPA, disciplinary action, institutional restructuring, and parliamentary scrutiny. History suggests the practical impact depends heavily on whether recommendations are implemented — which is why sustained public attention, including through live coverage, matters beyond the spectacle of the hearings themselves.
Following the coverage without being misled
Live coverage of a commission this politically charged generates an enormous volume of clips, summaries, and hot takes, and not all of them are accurate. Short excerpts of testimony can strip away crucial context, and fabricated quotes circulate quickly on social media during major hearings.
A few habits protect you as a viewer. Watch full sessions, or at least full witness testimonies, rather than isolated clips. Distinguish carefully between what a witness alleged, what was corroborated by documents, and what remains contested. Remember that evidence presented at a commission is tested but not adjudicated — no one is found guilty at a commission of inquiry. And anchor your understanding in established newsrooms and the commission's own outputs rather than anonymous accounts.
Why this inquiry matters
The Madlanga Commission sits at an uncomfortable intersection: the institutions tasked with fighting crime stand accused of being partly captured by it. How the country's leadership responds to the findings will say a great deal about the health of its constitutional order. For ordinary viewers, watching live is more than spectacle — it is a front-row seat to the evidence that will shape policing, prosecution, and public trust for years to come.