The judicial commission of inquiry into criminality, political interference, and corruption in the criminal justice system will listen to in-camera testimony on Thursday and Friday.
This was revealed on Thursday at the commission sitting at the Brigitte Mabandla Justice College in Pretoria.
The commission’s ruling for hearing in-camera testimony was delivered by the commission’s chairperson, retired Constitutional Court Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga.
During the opening of the proceedings on Thursday, the commission’s chief evidence leader Adv Matthew Chaskalson SC said media houses News24 and Daily Maverick are no longer opposing the commission evidence leaders’ in-camera testimony application for Thursday and Friday.
Witness touches on ongoing police probes
Chaskalson said the new witness who is testifying on Thursday and Friday will talk about ongoing police investigations; hence, why the witness is testifying in camera.
Madlanga then ruled that Thursday’s and Friday’s testimony will be heard in camera, meaning it will be a closed session without the media and the public.
On Tuesday, Madlanga ruled that Witness X’s testimony will be heard through evidence leader Adv Adila Hassim SC reading his statement into the record. Previously, Madlanga had ruled that Witness X will testify remotely through an intermediary; however, the remote testimony was stopped due to concerns over Witness X’s safety.
Three witnesses will be testifying next week from Monday to Wednesday in a partially closed session.
Madlanga ruled that two of three witnesses will be testifying remotely, off-camera but without an intermediary (their original voice will be heard).
He said the other witness will testify remotely, off-camera, and through an intermediary (their original voice will not be heard).
Chaskalson said the evidence leaders do not intend to lead further witnesses apart from the five through the current in-camera testimony application.
He said the evidence leaders will give a 72-hour notice to the media and the public to oppose when bringing a future, new in-camera testimony application.
The commission’s proceedings are currently continuing in camera.
Meanwhile, Witness X’s testimony on Tuesday was continuing from where National Crime Intelligence Head Lt-Gen Dumisani Khumalo left off with his testimony on September 30. Khumalo did not continue his testimony due to ill health.
Khumalo is also the project leader of the KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) South African Police Service (SAPS) political killings task team.
Text messages between cop, businessman
Witness X’s statement took the commission through the WhatsApp chats between alleged drug cartel member Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala and KZN Hawks head Maj-Gen Lesetja Senona.
The chats between Matlala and Senona took place between December 22 2024 and May 14 2025. The chats were beamed on a screen at the commission for all to see.
Witness X’s statement stated that chats reveal that there is a beneficial relationship between Matlala and Senona.
The statement said Senona has an interest in protecting Matlala.
It said that Senona has shared institutional and confidential police information with Matlala.
Cop wanted businessman to buy a house
In his statement, Witness X said Matlala and Senona were discussing facilitating a property deal for Senona’s son, Thato.
The discussion was on Senona getting Matlala to buy Thato a two-bedroom apartment flat in Menlyn, Pretoria.
Witness X’s statement states that he does not know if the purchase of the property was concluded.
Furthermore, in the chats, Senona tells Matlala that he must challenge the SAPS’ decision to terminate his R360-million three-year tender with the SAPS.
The commission was established by President Cyril Ramaphosa on July 13 after KZN police commissioner Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi’s explosive media briefing on July 6, where he said politicians in parliament, police officers, metro police officers, correctional service officials, prosecutors, and members of the judiciary in Gauteng are part of a criminal syndicate in Gauteng, and they are controlled by drug cartels and business people in Gauteng.
