“We Should Restrict Ourselves”: Adhoc Committee Chair Warns MPs Against Using Madlanga Testimony
- Parliament's ad hoc committee investigating corruption in the criminal justice system set a firm boundary on its draft report
- Chairperson Soviet Lekganyane cautioned MPs against drawing on any testimony or records from the Madlanga Commission
- The committee met virtually on 17 August 2026 to review witness testimonies and party submissions ahead of a National Assembly presentation
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SOUTH AFRICA — Parliament's ad hoc committee, which is investigating allegations of corruption within the criminal justice system, has resolved not to draw on any evidence from the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry when compiling its draft report.
The position was set out during a virtual sitting on 17 August 2026, convened to assess the draft report prior to its presentation to the National Assembly. Members reviewed witness testimonies and party submissions gathered before the committee itself.
Lekganyane's warning to MPs
Committee chairperson Soviet Lekganyane explicitly cautioned members against referencing material from the Madlanga Commission, explaining that the committee had neither requested documents from the commission nor collaborated with it regarding evidence arising from its records, transcripts, or cross-examinations.
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"We should restrict ourselves to what we have gathered," Lekganyane said.
He nonetheless acknowledged that the committee retained the option to formally approach the commission for information at a later stage. "We cannot pretend to be oblivious to what is happening or what has happened at the commission," he added.
Committee limits its scope for now
Lekganyane was clear that, as matters stand, no such request has been made. The committee intends to proceed strictly on the basis of evidence it has independently collected, at least for the purposes of the current draft.
The distinction drawn by the chairperson is a procedural one: the committee has its own evidentiary record and has not sought to supplement it with material generated through a separate and distinct process. Whether that boundary holds as the draft advances to the National Assembly remains to be seen.
Andrea Johnson gives contradicting evidence
In related news, Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC) head Andrea Johnson is facing a potential perjury charge after contradictions emerged between statements she made before Parliament's Ad Hoc Committee and those she gave at the Madlanga Commission. During cross-examination by evidence leader Advocate Sello on 23 July 2024, Johnson admitted that her earlier statement to the Ad Hoc Committee, in which she claimed she had never encountered MP Faiez Adams beyond seeing him on television and had not received a report from him directly, conflicted with what she testified at the commission.
Adhoc chair warns against report bcoming 'a joke'
Briefly News also reported that the Ad Hoc Committee investigating police corruption faced pressure from parliamentary parties as members deliberate over a fourth draft report Chairperson. Soviet Lekganyane warned the committee risks losing credibility if it fails to make clear findings against implicated individuals. DA chief whip Glynis Breytenbach cautioned members against drawing conclusions from unverified claims, noting the committee holds no legal power to determine guilt
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Source: Briefly News
