Madlanga Commission to lay criminal charges after Suliman Carrim no-show

The Madlanga Commission of Inquiry has said it will lay criminal charges against North West businessman Suliman Carrim after he failed to appear at a hearing on Friday, the commission confirmed on 14 August 2026.

Why charges will be laid

The commission’s chair, retired Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga, announced the move after the commission dismissed an application by Carrim to indefinitely delay his testimony on medical grounds. That ruling was handed down on 29 July 2026.

Dispute over medical evidence

Evidence leaders opposed Carrim’s postponement request, questioning the credibility of his medical claims and saying he had been leaving his medical facility for extended periods each day, reportedly up to eight hours. They also asked that Carrim undergo an independent medical examination and that any further postponement be conditioned on that assessment.

Attempts to arrange independent evaluation

Advocate Adila Hassim, one of the evidence leaders, told the commission that despite efforts to arrange an independent examination Carrim did not undergo one. Hassim said the evidence leaders provided the name of a suggested specialist to Carrim’s representatives on 30 July, and that correspondence followed on 31 July from Carrim’s attorneys indicating the information had been forwarded to the family and treating doctor.

Hassim said further contact attempts produced no response by the commission’s deadline on 4 August. She added that the president of the relevant professionals association later nominated a specialist, and the commission communicated that specialist’s details to Carrim’s attorneys on 6 August. The treating doctor’s report was received by the evidence leaders on 12 August, according to Hassim.

Treating doctor’s report and confidentiality

Hassim described the treating doctor’s report as an opinion from the same treating doctor explaining why Carrim could not consent to an independent medical evaluation and said the report provided clinical material about his condition.

She noted concerns about the timing and confidentiality of the report: “The difficulty we have also with the report is that it’s a lengthy report that’s furnished two days before the hearing, without any opportunity for the evidence leaders to obtain a considered expert opinion upon, an expert opinion of the contents of the report.“

Hassim also said the report was “expressly marked, strictly private and confidential, medical privilege invoked, not for dissemination, and that it is furnished strictly and only for the consideration of the chairperson, commissioners, and the evidence leaders.” She said that restriction made it impossible for the evidence leaders to obtain an independent assessment of the report.

Next steps

The commission resolved to lay criminal charges against Carrim and said it would make findings based on the evidence he gave in March. The commission further stated that Carrim will no longer be required to appear before it.