A public hotline for reporting information anonymously to the Madlanga Judicial Commission of Inquiry probing alleged corruption within the criminal justice system is now live.
The commission is set to commence with public hearings at the Brigitte Mabandla Justice College in Pretoria next Wednesday, September 17.
KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi will be the first witness to testify.
Members of the public can provide information via phone at 0800 111 369 or email at [email protected], commission spokesperson Jeremy Michaels said in a statement Monday.
"The commission has simultaneously been in consultation with a number of other witnesses whose details, based on security considerations, we are not at liberty to divulge," Michaels told reporters.
The inquiry was established by President Cyril Ramaphosa in July following explosive allegations by Mkhwanazi of criminal syndicates infiltrating law enforcement and political interference in police investigations.
Mkhwanazi alleged drug cartels control a syndicate involving politicians, law enforcement officials, prosecutors, judiciary members and business people.
The police commissioner claimed 121 case dockets were removed from a political killings task team in early 2025 to shield politically connected suspects.
Former Constitutional Court Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga chairs the commission alongside advocates Sesi Baloyi and Sandile Khumalo.
Public hearings were originally scheduled for September 1 but were postponed after the Department of Justice failed to procure necessary infrastructure.
Justice Minister Mmamoloko Kubayi suspended two senior officials over the delays.
The commission must submit an interim report within three months and a final report within six months of formation.
A witness protection agency has been hired to safeguard witnesses appearing before the commission.
"There the law is clear. Essentially, the function of this hearing is to conduct a public hearing for purpose of making recommendations to the president," said evidence leader Advocate Matthew Chaskalson.
The inquiry will investigate the South African Police Service, metro police departments in Gauteng, the National Prosecuting Authority, State Security Agency, judiciary and correctional services.
Suspended Police Minister Senzo Mchunu faces allegations of ordering the disbanding of the political killings task team through deputy national commissioner Shadrack Sibiya.
The commission's budget is R148 million (approximately $8 million) over six months.
Hearings will take place in the main auditorium of the justice college, which has been repurposed for the inquiry.
