Madlanga Commission Responds to Suliman Carrim’s Bid to Stop Testimony, Calls It an Abuse of Process

• Deputy Chief Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga responded to Suliman Carrim's bid to avoid testifying
• The North West businessman filed papers in the South Gauteng High Court to interdict his upcoming testimony
• The Madlanga Commission sought to question Carrim about his relationship with Vusimusi Matlala and other key figures

Briefly News journalist Byron Pillay has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He spent 10 years working for the Northern Natal Courier before transitioning to online journalism.

GAUTENG - Retired Deputy Chief Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga has responded to Suliman Carrim’s attempts to avoid testifying before the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry.

Carrim, an African National Congress member and North West businessman, filed papers in the South Gauteng High Court, aiming to interdict the commission from calling him to testify.

Carrim was due to testify on Friday, 6 February 2026, about his relationship with controversial tenderpreneur, Vusimusi "Cat" Matlala. Carrim’s name has already been mentioned several times in the evidence presented before the commission.

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Madlanga responds to Carrim’s urgent application

In the commission’s reply, which has been filed with the court, retired Deputy Chief Justice Madlanga described Carrim’s attempt as a ‘manifest abuse of process’.

He added that the businessman’s urgent bid to interdict the commission from questioning him was, in fact, an attempt to evade ever being asked. He also stated that urgency was entirely of Carrim’s own making.

What does the commission want answers from Carrim about?

Madlanga also noted that Carrim received a Regulation 10(6) notice, seeking answers about the nature of his relationship with Matlala, Senzo Mchunu, Crime Intelligence General Feroz Khan, Shadrack Sibiya, Hangwani Morgan Maumela, and Brown Mogotsi.

A Regulation 10(6) notice empowers the commission to take measures to ensure witnesses appear, testify, and produce the required documents.

Madlanga further explained that Carrim was subpoenaed to appear before the commission more than 10 weeks ago, but only launched his urgent legal challenge on 26 January 2026.

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"The commission was given less than 36 hours to file its answering affidavit," Madlanga said.

He said the legal challenge was served after hearings commenced on the morning of 26 January 2026. The commissioners sat in hearings until 4 pm on 26 and 27 January, giving them only two nights to furnish their answering affidavit.

"In fact, the abuse of process goes further, insofar as the application is designed to enable Mr Carrim to avoid having to furnish a statement to the commission under oath. That ship has sailed,” Madlanga stated.

The commission, which is probing allegations of criminality, political interference and corruption within the criminal justice system, is asking for the application to be struck from the roll with punitive costs.

Brown Mogotsi's chats with Matlala exposed

Briefly News reported that another North West businessman was also alleged to be communicating with Matlala via WhatsApp.

The head of Crime Intelligence, General Dumisani Khumalo, presented WhatsApp messages from controversial businessman Brown Mogotsi.

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The messages showed that Mogotsi confirmed to Matlala that the Political Killings Task Team, which had been harassing Matlala, had been disbanded.

Source: Briefly News