Madlanga Commission probes South Africa police corruption and drug raid mishandlings

The Madlanga Commission, chaired by retired Constitutional Court Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga, is investigating alleged corruption within the South African police. Senior officer Brig Rachel Matjeng testified that she oversaw a 2024 tender awarded to businessman Vusimuzi "Cat" Matlala’s company Medicare24, which was later cancelled. Matjeng denied receiving kickbacks, claiming instead an on‑off romantic relationship with Matlala and that he gifted her weight‑loss drugs such as Ozempic, while rejecting rumors of a Brazilian butt‑lift gift.

Matlala, currently in custody facing 25 criminal charges including attempted murder, was named as a key figure in an alleged drug‑trafficking cartel known as the Big Five. The commission also examined two major 2021 drug operations: a 541 kg cocaine seizure in Durban hidden in a shipping container, and a subsequent theft of the seized cocaine from the Hawks unit’s storage facility due to security failures. Senior Hawks officials described missteps, including inadequate DNA sampling and lax storage decisions. An interim report was submitted to President Cyril Ramaphosa but not released publicly, with a final phase of hearings scheduled for next month.