The chairperson of the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Criminality, Political Interference and Corruption in the Criminal Justice System, Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga, has expressed trust that justice will be served following the conclusion of the commission’s work.
Madlanga delivered an opening statement before the beginning of the commission’s proceedings on Thursday, as the commission marks one year since the first hearings after it was announced by President Cyril Ramaphosa in July 2025.
“With the revelations that are coming out, we trust that justice will be served,” Madlanga stated.
He noted that while the revelations at the Commission are “commendable”, the allegations have also been painful.
“This is commendable because, hopefully, that will help towards stemming the tide. What is painful though is that this apparent criminality suggests that for some time now, our criminal justice system has been populated by malleable, corrupt state functionaries.
“With such a criminal justice system, those criminals who exert undue, improper influence on State functionaries will rarely, if ever, answer for their criminal deeds. To ask rhetorically, over the years, how many such criminals have escaped facing criminal charges and sanctions?” the former Constitutional Court Justice prompted.
Testing allegations
The commission was established after KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, made a series of serious allegations about an alleged criminal syndicate that has spread influence into law enforcement agencies, the NPA and intelligence services.
Mkhwanazi was the first to give testimony at the commission.
“I am well aware that the Commission is yet to assess all the evidence it will be having before it at the conclusion of evidence and make definitive determinations in its final report. That notwithstanding, I cannot but say a few words on the trends that are emerging.
“Unfortunately, what is emerging from the evidence is that there are indications of serious criminality within the criminal justice system and that this is the result of the infiltration of, and undue influence on, the criminal justice system by elements of criminality.
“The fact that a number of players within the criminal justice system have been charged criminally, with some dismissed from their employment and others facing disciplinary charges, lends credence to these indications,” Madlanga noted.
Looking ahead, the commission chair said it is hoped that South Africa will be better served after the hearings and reports are concluded.
“We trust that in the end this process will yield results that will play a meaningful role towards putting in place mechanisms that will help significantly towards curbing a recurrence of apparent criminality of the nature that is emerging before the Commission.
“Thus far, a number of people and institutions have supported the Commission process. I will thank them all when this process concludes. Suffice it to say we are grateful to them all. The overwhelming public support for the Commission process is not going unnoticed. For that too, we are truly grateful,” Madlanga concluded. – SAnews.gov.za
