Madlanga commission’s medical notes a sick joke?
· Citizen
If the roll call of vanished witnesses at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry is any measure, the decision to extend its work to November is not just procedural, it is essential.
One after another, the commission’s most anticipated witnesses have disappeared behind sudden illness, hospitalisation, or medical emergencies. The latest was Idac head Andrea Johnson, who was rushed to hospital hours before her testimony on Monday.
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Before her, Crime Intelligence boss Lieutenant-General Dumisani Khumalo collapsed mid-evidence, deputy head Major-General Feroz Khan was hospitalised after a shooting, and Medicare24 CEO Mike van Wyk withdrew, citing panic attacks.
Others, including businessman Suliman Carrim and self-proclaimed Crime Intelligence agent Brown Mogotsi, have also failed to appear, citing medical reasons. Individually, each absence may be legitimate.
Collectively, the pattern is disturbing. Illness happens; trauma is real – but when accountability is repeatedly postponed when difficult questions are due, suspicion grows that sickness has become a most convenient shield.
The commission is not investigating minor administrative failures. It is probing allegations that strike at the heart of the country’s policing, intelligence structures and political leadership.
Witnesses know their evidence could expose corruption, abuse of power and criminal conduct. Some may face reputational damage or legal consequences.
In that context, every postponement inevitably raises suspicion.
Commission chair Mbuyiseli Madlanga has questioned some medical certificates presented, reflecting growing concern that illness cannot simply become a shield against scrutiny.
His comments echo what many South Africans are thinking: when powerful people are repeatedly unavailable just as difficult questions are asked, public confidence is affected.
This is not to suggest that every witness is pretending to be ill. Stress associated with public testimony can trigger genuine physical and psychological illness.
But genuine illness and accountability are not mutually exclusive. If witnesses are medically unable to appear on a particular day, the commission must ensure that there are processes to verify those claims independently and to secure testimony as soon as reasonably possible.
Otherwise, illness – whether genuine or exaggerated – risks becoming an effective means of postponing accountability indefinitely.
The danger extends beyond the commission itself. Every delay reinforces the perception that there is one system for ordinary South Africans and another for those in positions of power.
Ordinary citizens are expected to account for their actions. Yet, when influential figures are called to account, proceedings seem to stall with remarkable frequency.
Perhaps that perception is unfair. But public confidence depends as much on appearances as outcomes. A commission that repeatedly pauses because key witnesses are unavailable, risks creating the impression that powerful individuals can avoid scrutiny simply by delaying it.
South Africa has seen too many commissions produce lengthy reports, while accountability remains elusive.
The Madlanga commission cannot become another exercise where the process outlasts the public’s patience.
The truth cannot remain on hold forever. Whether these repeated illnesses are unfortunate coincidences, the consequence of extraordinary pressure, or evidence of a broader culture of avoiding accountability remains unknown.
What is known, is that every postponement benefits those who have to account, while denying South Africans the transparency they were promised.
Justice delayed has always favoured those under investigation.
The Madlanga commission must ensure that accountability is not defeated by “useless” medical notes.