Madlanga Commission Hints at Shutting Down IDAC After Explosive Testimonies
- Madlanga Commission chairperson Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga raised the possibility of completely dissolving IDAC during hearings on 7 August
- IDAC Head of Investigations and Operations Matthews Sesoko admitted the agency repeatedly failed to follow its own operational rules before the commission
- Sesoko defended the organisation despite the criticism, while the commission adjourned until Tuesday when Fadiel Adams is scheduled to testify
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SOUTH AFRICA — The Investigative Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC) could face complete dissolution, according to remarks made by Madlanga Commission chairperson Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga during hearings held on Thursday, 7 August.
A report by IOL indicated that the prospect arose after IDAC's Head of Investigations and Operations, Matthews Sesoko, conceded before the commission that the agency had consistently failed to apply its own internal rules. The admissions formed part of weeks of testimony covering allegations of poor governance, unlawful investigations, disregarded procedures, and questionable arrests and prosecutions.
Madlanga raises prospect of scrapping IDAC
While questioning Sesoko, Justice Madlanga signalled that outright dissolution of the body was among the options the commission might recommend.
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"Or the killing of such an institution altogether," Madlanga said, when discussing potential outcomes.
Sesoko acknowledged that IDAC's operational manual, adopted in October 2024 and binding on all staff, was not consistently applied across the organisation. He also accepted personal responsibility for failing to prevent repeated breaches of those rules and admitted that Chief Investigator Dylan Perumal had at times carried out functions that properly belonged to the head of investigations and operations.
Despite the weight of evidence presented against the organisation, Sesoko appealed to the commission to consider IDAC's broader value rather than judge it solely on its shortcomings.
"It is a good institution with good structures and good people," he told commissioners.
Commission considers legislative safeguards
Justice Madlanga was clear that no conclusions had been reached and that the commission's final recommendations remained undecided. He did, however, suggest that Parliament should consider giving IDAC's operational framework the force of law, so that future leadership could not sidestep investigative procedures.
Sesoko backed the proposal, agreeing that stronger legislative protections were necessary to properly govern the unit's work.
The commission has been hearing evidence for several weeks from investigators, prosecutors, and former IDAC head Advocate Andrea Johnson. Testimony already presented before the inquiry contributed to Johnson's resignation and the suspension of a number of senior officials.
The commission adjourned for the week on Thursday and is expected to resume on Tuesday, when Fadiel Adams is scheduled to give evidence.
DA calls for chapter nine institution
Briefly News reported that the Democratic Alliance called for an entirely new Chapter Nine institution to be created to tackle corruption, insisting that the country cannot rely on the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC) to do the job effectively. DA MP Glynnis Breytenbach put forward the proposal on behalf of the party, arguing that a dedicated body established through its own legislation would be the most effective way to insulate investigators from political pressure.
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Source: Briefly News
