Ramaphosa’s dream team appointed to probe alleged criminal justice rot

President Cyril Ramaphosa’s Madlanga Commission of Inquiry, appointed to investigate the allegedly captured police portfolio, consists of a team of legal and forensic heavyweights who have helped investigate several instances of state corruption.

The commission’s appointment followed Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanzi’s allegations that a criminal syndicate has captured the country’s law enforcement and intelligence structures.

These allegations also implicated the then Minister of Police, Senzo Mchunu, in interfering with sensitive police investigations and colluding with businesspeople to disband the Political Killings Task Team.

Mchunu has since been placed on a special leave of absence pending the investigations. He has denied these allegations.

The team instructed to investigate Mkhwanazi’s allegations is headed by former Deputy Chief Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga, with Advocate Sesi Baloyi SC and Advocate Sandile Khumalo assisting.

Madlanga announced that Advocate Terry Motau Senior Counsel (SC) will serve as the chief evidence leader, and Dr. Peter Goss will be the chief investigator.

Motau will be supported by advocates Matthew Chaskalson SC, Mahlape Sello SC, Adilla Hasim SC, Lee Segeels-Ncube, Ofentse Motlhasedi, and Thabang Pooe.

According to a recently published Government Gazette, the Madlanga Commission’s mandate is to investigate the alleged infiltration of South Africa’s criminal justice system by organised crime syndicates.

The commission has been authorised to investigate whether syndicates have infiltrated or exerted influence over institutions within the justice and police portfolios.

These institutions include the South African Police Service (SAPS), the Johannesburg, Ekurhuleni, Tshwane Metropolitan Police Departments, the National Prosecuting Authority, and the State Security Agency.

The commission will also investigate how this infiltration enabled organised crime and obstructed investigations, as well as how the conduct of senior officials, including former police minister Senzo Mchunu, may have aided criminal activity.

To fulfil this mandate, it has been given far-reaching powers, including subpoenaing witnesses, conducting search and seizure operations, holding on-camera hearings, and referring matters for urgent criminal investigation.

While there has been much debate as to whether another commission of inquiry is the right move, give the slow pace of implementing recommendations from previous ones.

However, Madlanga has urged the public to let the commission do its work. “We assure South Africans that we are treating the matter with the urgency it deserves,” said Madlanga, emphasising the seriousness of the allegations.

“It’s worth noting that the commission has already begun work, with consultation with a first witness described as imminent.

Justice Mbuyisile Madlanga

Before hanging up his robes at the end of July 2025, Justice Mbuyisile Madlanga was the most senior judge on the Constitutional Court, behind Deputy Chief Justice Raymond Zondo.

His judicial career started in 1996 when he became a judge of the Mthatha High Court at 34.

Within two years, Madlanga was serving as an acting justice of the Supreme Court of Appeal, where he remained for a year before being appointed as an acting justice of the Constitutional Court.

He remained here for another year before deciding to resign from the judiciary and go into private practice as an advocate.

During this time, Madlanga represented the Government of South Africa in an International Court of Justice case in 2004 concerning the wall constructed by Israel on occupied Palestinian territory.

That same year, he was appointed as a member of the Competition Tribunal for five years. This was eventually renewed for another term. However, this time, he was appointed as the Deputy Chairperson of the Tribunal.

In 2012, Madlanga was appointed as the Marikana Commission of Inquiry’s chief evidence leader. However, he resigned from the position the following year in preparation to restart his judicial career.

Madlanga was appointed as a justice of the Constitutional Court in 2013, writing several judgments on social issues, such as corruption, electoral law, women’s rights, and land.

In his nomination form submitted to the Judicial Service Commission, Madlanga wrote that he is only content with a matter when he feels that justice has been done.

“I believe that I have an instinct for what justice is, and that is what motivates me in my exercise of judicial function,” he wrote.

“Often, that instinctive reaction has helped make a difference and bring about just outcomes where it matters the most; that is, in the lives of the vulnerable and marginalised.”

Dr Peter Goss — Chief Investigator

Goss began his career as a police officer in the late 1980s until he resigned as Commercial Crime Detective Inspector in 1995.

He then joined Eskom as the Chief Forensic Investigations Advisor to the CEO’s office. At the same time, he served as the Chairperson of the Non-Ferrous Metals Theft Combating Committee.

After leaving Eskom, Goss was recruited by PwC, the largest auditing firm in the world at the time, where he led various corporate governance teams. He resigned as managing partner in 2014, after 14 years.

During his time at PwC, he was appointed as the expert forensic auditor in the 2007 prosecution case against former National Police Commissioner Jackie Salebi.

Salebi was convicted of corruption in 2010 and sentenced to 15 years in prison, but was placed on parole less than a year into his sentence on medical grounds.

Goss has also lectured at the University of Johannesburg as a Professor of Practice in Corporate Governance and Forensic Auditing.

He currently runs his own firm, PG Governance, which specialises in corporate governance and crisis forensic auditing.

Terry Motau — Chief Evidence Leader

Legal heavyweight Terry Motau SC has led several high-profile investigations over the past few years, most notably the 2018 investigation into the VBS Mutual Bank scandal.

Motau produced a report titled “The Great Bank Heist,” which explained how billions in fraudulent transactions caused the bank to collapse and implicated 50 individuals.

In 2020, he was also appointed to lead a team of lawyers to review reports of fraud, corruption, and irregular expenditures at the Department of Water and Sanitation.

Forty-eight cases of serious misconduct had been found within the department, amounting to over R16 billion.

Most recently, former Minister of Higher Education Nobuhle Nkabane accused Motau of chairing an independent panel tasked with recommending chairpersons for South Africa’s Sector Education and Training Authorities.

However, he outright denied this, placing another nail in Nkabane’s coffin, who was sacked soon afterwards.