Overview
- Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga confirmed an agreement with News24 and Daily Maverick allowing sensitive witnesses to testify remotely and off camera, with answers relayed publicly through an intermediary and transcripts released afterward.
- Technical problems that threatened the safety of anonymous Witness X forced the commission to suspend live testimony, pause Wednesday’s sitting, and shift to having an evidence leader read the statement into the record pending a ruling on later sessions.
- Witness X is leading the commission through WhatsApp messages said to show a beneficial relationship between alleged cartel figure Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala and KZN Hawks head Maj-Gen Lesetja Senona, including sharing of confidential SAPS information.
- The compromise covers this Tuesday and Wednesday and part of next week, with two witnesses to testify remotely in their own voices and one through an intermediary; procedures for Thursday and Friday remain in dispute.
- Before the commission reconvenes, parallel parliamentary hearings continued as Sibiya denied keeping 121 PKTT dockets or personal relationships with Oupa “Brown” Mogotsi and Matlala, and he challenged questioning by an MP who had opened a case against him.