Courts & Legal
Witness F hospitalised as Madlanga Commission postpones key testimony
The spotlight was meant to turn to Witness F this week. Instead, the hearing room of the Madlanga Commission fell into a pause.
The commission confirmed that proceedings involving the Gauteng organised crime officer have been postponed after his legal team informed the inquiry that he had been hospitalised. An application was filed requesting a delay, and the matter has now been moved to March 16.
For an inquiry that has already heard unsettling evidence about internal policing dynamics, the postponement raises more questions than answers.
A last-minute legal retreat
Witness F had been scheduled to testify at 9:30am on Monday. In the days leading up to the hearing, he launched an urgent application in the North Gauteng High Court, seeking to block his appearance and prevent the commission from presenting private WhatsApp messages seized from his phone.
Investigators believe those chats could be significant.
But just as the commission prepared to proceed, the urgent application was abruptly withdrawn. Shortly thereafter, news of his hospitalisation followed, and the postponement was granted.
In a city where political and policing dramas rarely unfold quietly, the sequence of events has drawn attention. On social media, observers have questioned the timing, while others have urged caution and respect for due process. The commission has not suggested wrongdoing linked to the hospitalisation itself, only confirming the delay.
Who is Witness F?
Witness F serves in Gauteng’s organised crime unit, an elite division tasked with tackling drug syndicates and violent hijacking networks across the province. The unit operates in some of the most dangerous and politically sensitive corners of law enforcement.
He works under suspended deputy police commissioner Shadrack Sibiya, who has denied corruption allegations against him.
The commission has been examining whether certain actions within the unit point to broader systemic failures or whether misconduct, if any, is isolated to individuals operating without proper oversight.
Previous testimony has painted a troubling picture. Concerns were raised about the handling of sensitive information, including arrest warrants. In one instance, Witness F was allegedly sent by Sibiya to Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala, an alleged cartel figure whose name has surfaced repeatedly during the inquiry.
Witness F himself has not been criminally charged.
Closed doors, open questions
As a partially protected witness, some of Witness F’s testimony may be heard behind closed doors. That protection, however, has not shielded him from public scrutiny.
The commission’s task is not simply to examine individual conduct. It is probing whether deeper weaknesses in oversight and accountability within law enforcement structures have allowed blurred lines of loyalty to take root.
In South Africa, where organised crime has long intersected with politics and power, these hearings matter. The outcomes could shape public trust in policing at a time when confidence is already fragile.
What happens next?
The commission will resume on Wednesday, though Witness F’s testimony is now set for March 16, pending his recovery.
For now, the delay leaves a gap in a narrative that many South Africans are following closely. Will his evidence clarify the allegations? Will it reinforce concerns about compromised operations? Or will it shift the focus entirely?
Until he takes the stand, those questions remain suspended, much like the hearing itself.
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Source: IOL
Featured Image: EWN
