THE Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Criminality, Political Interference and Corruption in the Criminal Justice System in South Africa has interviewed its main witness, Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, and is now ready to commence public hearings with Mkhwanazi as the first witness on September 17.
Commission spokesperson Jeremy Michaels confirmed at a media briefing that the commission has been in ongoing consultation with Lt-Gen Mkhwanazi, the whistleblower whose explosive allegations about criminal infiltration of South Africa’s law enforcement agencies prompted President Cyril Ramaphosa to establish the inquiry in July.
“The Commission has simultaneously been in consultation with a number of other witnesses whose details, based on security considerations, we are not at liberty to divulge,” Michaels said at the Brigitte Mabandla Justice College in Pretoria, where the hearings will take place.
The commission will continue consultations with Mkhwanazi throughout this week and into next week ahead of the first public hearing scheduled for Wednesday, September 17, 2025.
Mkhwanazi’s allegations centre on claims that criminal syndicates and drug cartels have infiltrated the Criminal Justice System and are unduly influencing the country’s law enforcement agencies.
Michaels said the commission had overcome significant technical challenges that initially delayed preparations, including procurement issues with ICT systems and data security concerns given “the nature of investigations which the Commission must conduct, and the technical sophistication of the parties it must investigate.”
The commission has now taken delivery of necessary equipment, including cybersecurity solutions, secure internet connections, live streaming services, and transcription services. Staff have been trained and systems tested to ensure they are “fit for purpose.”
A confidential reporting hotline has been established for public tips, accessible at [email protected] and 0800 111 369.
The commission is coordinating with Parliament’s Ad Hoc Committee, which also wants to hear from Mkhwanazi, to ensure his testimony happens “cooperatively.”
President Ramaphosa formally proclaimed the commission through a Government Gazette on July 23, 2025, following Mkhwanazi’s bombshell allegations about criminal infiltration of law enforcement.
