Madlanga probe hit by government sabotage claims

THE government has been accused of sabotaging the Madlanga Commission following remarks made by former chief evidence leader, Advocate Terry Motau, regarding its inadequate budget.

- MANYANE MANYANE

The commission last week confirmed that Motau had stepped down from his role, adding that he left the commission on good terms but it did not provide reasons for his departure.

Speaking with Radio 702 last week, Motau revealed he had tendered his resignation on September 11, following a discussion with commission leadership-central to his concerns was the lack of budget clarity.

Motau stressed that this was a lesson that should have been learned from the Zondo Commission, which ballooned past R1 billion in cost and left several legal professionals unpaid in its final months.

He said the R147.9 million budget for the Madlanga Commission, announced by the government for this task, was insufficient to achieve the Commission's goals.

“Without clear budget line items, you cannot responsibly allocate tasks or avoid previous missteps,” he said.

The Commission's spokesperson Jeremy Michaels declined to comment.