Madlanga commission’s year of claims, clashes, tensions and arrests

On September 17 2025, the Justice Mabandla building in Pretoria was packed with journalists, camera operators, lawyers and members of the public as the Madlanga commission opened its first public hearings.

What followed has become one of the most closely watched inquiries in South Africa, with witness testimony placing allegations of criminality, corruption and political interference in the criminal justice system under intense scrutiny.

From tense exchanges in the hearing room to witnesses being confronted with unexpected evidence, the commission has given us moments that will be difficult to forget.

A year on, we have also seen arrests, resignations and disciplinary proceedings involving people whose names featured prominently in the evidence.

Here are some of the moments that stand out and what followed:

Brown Mogotsi spent hours invoking his Section 35 right not to incriminate himself when questioned by the commission.

Then came the dramatic twist. Later that evening, he was arrested in connection with allegations relating to a purported assassination plot.

The claims became one of the early talking points of the inquiry and were challenged during his testimony. He later withdrew them.

Imagine thinking a document is long gone, only for it to suddenly appear in front of you.

That was the moment Sgt Fannie Nkosi was confronted with an annexure he appeared not to remember seeing. His facial expression said it all.

The evidence became another memorable moment in the commission’s examination of relationships between police officials and people outside the service.

Then came the WhatsApp exchanges between former Idac head advocate Andrea Johnson and crime intelligence boss Feroz Khan.

The messages, including the memorable “gorgeous” reference, became a major talking point and put their relationship under intense scrutiny.

After appearing to concede that he had helped fit blue lights to vehicles in a fleet linked to alleged cartel kingpin Vusimusi “Cat” Matlala, Julius Mkhwanazi made an emotional plea to the commission.

“Commissioners, you will be sitting there and I’ll go to prison for a long time. I have kids,” he said.

What followed from April 2026 was another dramatic chapter, with Mkhwanazi facing four arrests and a fifth arrest being served while he was applying for bail.

The interpreter delivered an animated and theatrical interpretation of a witness’s testimony, complete with expressive gestures and a delivery that quickly captured the attention of those inside the hearing room.

Before long, clips of his performance were circulating on social media, and he became a favourite among those following the commission.

MP Fadiel Adams initially told the commission he became aware of its notice for him to appear at a later stage because of problems with his laptop.

But when confronted with evidence relating to his communication with the commission, Adams conceded that he had misled the inquiry about when he became aware of the notice.

The commission has had its fair share of tense moments, but the exchange between Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga and the legal team representing Suliman Carrim stands out.

The dispute centred on a postponement, with Madlanga saying he could be “rough” and accusing Carrim of lying over a claim that the commission had already developed a stance.

Whatever your interpretation of what he was trying to explain, it became one of those moments that immediately stuck in people’s minds.

A year on, the Madlanga commission has given South Africans an extraordinary front-row seat to testimony, confrontation, evidence and, at times, moments that left everyone talking.