Madlanga commission briefly evacuated after fire alarm at Pretoria college

A fire alarm at Brigitte Mabandla College in Pretoria on Monday, 6 May 2026 prompted a precautionary evacuation of the Madlanga commission about an hour before corruption‑accused tenderpreneur Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala was due to testify.

Evacuation and emergency response

Attendees, staff and media moved outside the venue after the alarm was activated. Tshwane Emergency Services were summoned to inspect the premises, and the building was declared safe after evacuation procedures were completed.

Proceedings and investigation

The commission resumed later the same morning. The Madlanga commission said it is investigating what triggered the alarm and has assured the public that its premises remain safe.

“We wouldn’t want to speculate as to what happened. Once we know what the cause was, we will let the public know. Investigations are underway, and as soon as we are able to, we will inform you,” Jeremy Michaels, the commission’s spokesperson, told reporters.

Security and context

Security at the commission was described as heightened ahead of Matlala’s testimony. Matlala was scheduled to appear on Monday.

Michaels said emergency procedures were followed “to the T” and that, from a planning point of view, the evacuation ran smoothly. “There weren’t any incidents related to the evacuation other than the alarm itself,” he said.

Edits made

• Corrected the date to Monday, 6 May 2026 throughout the article.
• Replaced the incorrect scheduling line so it states “Matlala was scheduled to appear on Monday.” Removed any implication he was due to appear on Tuesday.
• Adjusted surrounding sentences for coherence after the scheduling and date corrections.
• Removed promotional/follow links and the appended source block to match publication standards; retained only facts from the source material.