Between truth and peril

South Africans are not merely spectators to the Madlanga Commission; they are stakeholders in its success or failure

- Tebogo Khaas

Stress test: History will judge the Madlaga Commission not only by the eloquence of its final report but by whether its work translated into safer conditions for truth-tellers and more credible prosecutions of those implicated in criminal acts. Photo: Delwyn Verasamy

(Delwyn Verasamy)

As the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry resumes its work next week, the country enters a decisive phase in what has become one of the most consequential accountability processes confronting democratic South Africa in recent years.

With further testimony expected from implicated senior officers of the South African Police Service (SAPS) — including Lieutenant General Shadrack Sibiya, Major General Lesetja Senona and others — and the anticipated return of suspended Minister of Police Senzo Mchunu, the commission's second and third phases will test whether the state is capable of defending the rule of law against internal sabotage and political capture.

At its core, the Madlanga Commission is not merely an exercise in fact-finding. It is a stress test of institutional integrity.

The allegations that precipitated its establishment, particularly claims of political interference aimed at disbanding the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT), strike at the heart of the criminal justice system. If substantiated, they reveal not isolated misconduct but a systemic effort to neutralise investigations into organised crime and politically connected violence.

Phase One testimony has laid bare a disturbing picture. Senior officers have described internal obstruction, compromised command structures and interference that appears calculated to frustrate sensitive investigations. Whether all the claims ultimately withstand evidentiary scrutiny remains for the commission to determine.