The Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Criminality, Political Interference and Corruption in the Criminal Justice System will today hear testimony relating to the seizure of a consignment of drugs at the Durban harbour on 22 June 2024, but proceedings will take place behind closed doors.
The testimony of Witness H will focus on the seizure of the drugs, their handling and storage at the DPCI/Hawks office in Port Shepstone, as well as the subsequent theft of the drugs from the office and the findings of investigations into the matter.
In a statement issued on Friday, commission spokesperson Jeremy Michaels said the commission had ruled that the entire testimony would be heard in-camera, meaning there would be no public access to the proceedings.
“It has come to the attention of the Madlanga Commission that some media houses seem to have missed the ruling yesterday evening that the hearing of Witness H will be held fully in-camera,” Michaels said.
The commission’s hearings this week and next week are focused on drug seizures by South African law enforcement agencies and the theft of such drugs.
According to the statement, the commission’s evidence leaders applied on Tuesday, 5 May 2026, for Witness H to testify in-camera because the evidence relates to ongoing investigations and could not be presented publicly without potentially undermining investigations and possible criminal prosecutions.
Two media houses responded to the application and indicated that they would not oppose it.
Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga subsequently issued a ruling on Thursday evening confirming that the testimony of Witness H on 8 May 2026 “will be in camera with no video or audio feed to the public”. - SAnews.gov.za
