The Commission of Inquiry into Criminality, Political Interference, and Corruption in the Criminal Justice System – informally known as the Madlanga Commission after its chairperson, retired acting Deputy Chief Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga – started its hearings on Wednesday 17 September 2025. President Cyril Ramaphosa established the commission as a response to allegations, made on 6 Read more >
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“A healthy criminal justice system is key to the rule of law and in turn, to a functioning constitutional democracy. With a criminal justice system that is populated by malleable and corrupt functionaries, many criminals, especially those holding positions of influence will rarely, if ever answer for their criminal deeds.” These are the words of Read more >
On 10 September 2025, Parliament’s ad hoc committee to investigate the allegations made by KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, met to receive and discuss a report on the progress of preparations for its hearings. Chaired by ANC national executive committee member Soviet Lekganyane, the committee includes representatives from the ANC, DA, EFF, MKP, IFP, Read more >
UPDATE: The commission announced on 26 August that it will not, after all, be able to commence hearings on 1 September. Delays in the procurement of critical infrastructure, the commission further revealed, is the cause. Two senior justice department officials have reportedly been suspended because of this. The Judicial Commission of Inquiry into criminality, political Read more >
Image: Wikimedia Commons By Ivor ChipkinFirst published on The Conversation: Africa After South Africa’s first democratic elections in 1994, there was significant optimism about police reform in the country. Impressive steps were taken to bring the South African Police Service under civilian control and to create a service responsive to calls for assistance from the Read more >
President Cyril Ramaphosa has gazetted the upcoming Madlanga inquiry into law enforcement corruption. The gazette also includes the terms of reference which lay out the scope of the inquiry, and other regulations which guide its work. Ramaphosa established the “Judicial Commission of Inquiry into criminality, political interference, and corruption in the Criminal Justice System arising Read more >
In November 2023 we reported on a new project by the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime (GI-TOC), which would monitor crime activity in the Western Cape (WC) province, which struggles with crime like many other areas in the country. The first issue of the Western Cape Gang Monitor, released in October, was based on Read more >
By Walter Kemp First published on GI-TOC Organised crime is moving up the international agenda. People and governments are becoming increasingly concerned about violence and instability associated with criminality. The recent crises in Haiti and Ecuador are cases in point. These are accompanied by a wide array of emerging threats from synthetic drugs to piracy Read more >
Image: GroundUp A year ago we reported that the Western Cape (WC) police ombud Oswald Reddy had been requested to investigate allegations that police members and gang members in the province were in cahoots. This followed a biting Western Cape High Court judgment in a case involving the 28s gang, delivered on 17 October 2022, Read more >
