The Madlanga Commission Day 4 begins with SAPS commissioner Fannie Masemola giving his testimony.
Madlanga Commission: What to expect on Day 4
Masemola, who has been in the police service for 38 years, took the stand on Monday morning in Pretoria.
His appearance follows three days of explosive testimony by KwaZulu-Natal police boss Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, who shook the commission with claims of political interference, corruption, and deep criminal links inside the police service.
The commission, chaired by retired Constitutional Court Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga, is investigating allegations that the South African Police Service (SAPS), the justice system, and even senior politicians are entangled with organised crime.
On Friday, Mkhwanazi claimed that controversial businessman Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala had been shielded by law enforcement, enjoyed special privileges, and even had ties to former police minister Bheki Cele and current minister Senzo Mchunu. He further alleged that political leaders interfered with specialised task teams investigating sensitive cases like political killings and high-profile assassinations.
Masemola is now expected to respond to these allegations and explain his role in key decisions — including why a highly effective task team, led by Mkhwanazi, was disbanded after receiving a letter from Mchunu’s office.
According to Mkhwanazi, the team had linked firearms used in the murders of DJ Sumbody and engineer Armand Swart to broader criminal networks.
Commission chair Madlanga warned last week that if the corruption allegations are true, they spell “doom for South Africa’s justice system” because powerful criminals would rarely be held accountable.
Watch live: Commissioner Fannie Masemola testifies
Masemola began his testimony by outlining his SAPS journey since joining in 1987, saying he has spent more than two decades in senior leadership roles.
When asked whether he would ever carry out an unlawful instruction from the minister of police, Masemola said he would refuse — even if it might be “career limiting.”
He is now expected to address:
- The controversial letter to disband the political killings task team.
- The threats investigators received after solving the DJ Sumbody and Swart murder cases.
- Allegations that senior officials helped cover up links between drug syndicates, tender corruption, and police leadership.
The proceedings are being streamed live. Viewers can watch Commissioner Masemola’s full testimony below:
The case resumes throughout the day, with further testimonies expected to dig deeper into the names Mkhwanazi mentioned, including senior police officers, prosecutors, and business figures.
The commission will continue to sit until December, after which it will prepare a report for the president.