Madlanga Commission’s Witness O to Testify In-Camera About IDAC Head Andrea Johnson

• An individual currently serving within the Crime Intelligence unit is set to testify before the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry
• The witness, who will testify in camera, will testify about the Independent Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC) head, Andrea Johnson
• The Commission is currently investigating allegations of criminality, political interference and corruption in the criminal justice system

Byron Pillay, a Briefly News journalist, has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He worked as a newspaper journalist for 10 years before transitioning to online.

GAUTENG - An individual, currently embedded within Crime Intelligence, is expected to testify before the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry about Independent Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC) head Advocate Andrea Johnson.

The individual, who will be known as Witness O, will testify about an alleged request made in connection with a criminal complaint lodged against Major-General Feroz Khan. The complaint was for alleged assault and intimidation.

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The anonymous witness believes that Johnson, who was serving as a senior prosecutor at the time of the events, ‘acted improperly in respect of this matter’. Advocate Johnson is no stranger to controversy, as she once faced scrutiny over a post her husband applied for.

Anonymity granted to protect the witness

The Commission has since granted permission for the witness to testify in camera after they submitted an application, of which portions were redacted. The application sets out the grounds for the need for in-camera status and full anonymity during testimony. Among the reasons cited, the documents note that revealing the witness's identity could expose other members of the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT), deter informants from cooperating with ongoing investigations, and compromise the safety of plain-clothes operatives from the Tactical Response Team and National Intervention Unit who provide protection.

The submission further argues that anonymity is necessary to protect not only the witness but also their family members and colleagues.

Commission hearings are public by default under its governing rules, but the Chairperson retains the authority to depart from this where sufficient cause is established. The legal filing argues that the circumstances surrounding Witness O meet that threshold.

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The application was approved by the Commission, and the witness is expected to testify from Friday, 10 July 2026.

Advocate Johnson faces 208 objections over application for NPA post

Briefly News reported that Advocate Johnson was interviewed for the National Director of Public Prosecutions (NDPP) post.

Johnson was quizzed about a reference on her CV, which came from suspended Ekurhuleni legal executive Kemi Behari

The selection panel also noted that there were numerous objections to Advocate Johnson being shortlisted for the job.

Source: Briefly News