Madlanga Commission orders Hawks officer Govender to testify publicly

Lieutenant-Colonel Deenadayalan Govender, a KwaZulu-Natal Hawks officer, has been ordered by the Madlanga Commission to provide specific testimony in public. While the commission granted condonation for the late filing of his application, it refused his request to have certain responses heard in camera.

Under the ruling, Govender must testify openly regarding specific sections of a Regulation 10(6) notice. However, the commission maintained protections for sensitive information. He is not required to disclose the identities of witnesses involved in an investigation into suspected cocaine theft at the Port Shepstone offices of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, nor must he reveal specific police strategies or intelligence-gathering methods.

Testimony linked to a counter-intelligence operation involving organized drug groups in Durban, previously provided by an anonymous witness, will remain closed to the public.

The commission is investigating allegations of corruption, political interference, and criminality within South Africa’s criminal justice system. Govender, who leads the Hawks’ provincial tracing team, has previously denied allegations regarding his conduct, including claims of attempts to influence his evidence.