South African legal body says Madlanga commissioner Sandile Khumalo faced threats, intimidation
A South African legal advocacy group says Madlanga Commission commissioner Sandile Khumalo has been targeted in a sustained campaign of threats and intimidat...
A South African legal advocacy group says Madlanga Commission commissioner Sandile Khumalo has been targeted in a sustained campaign of threats and intimidation, with the messages now said to have spread to people close to him. The group, Advocates for Transformation, spoke out on Tuesday after keeping the matter private for some time.
The allegations come as the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry continues to examine claims that underworld figures have infiltrated South Africa’s criminal justice system. Khumalo serves as one of the commissioners on the panel led by retired judge Mbuyiseli Madlanga.
Threats said to have escalated
According to Advocates for Transformation, the campaign has grown more aggressive over time. The organisation said threats were sent from multiple cellphone numbers and were aimed at Khumalo, its national chairperson Myron Dewrance SC, and members of Dewrance’s family and friends.
The group said the messages became more serious and eventually included explicit threats of sexual violence. It also said some of the communications referred repeatedly to both Dewrance and Khumalo, and in certain cases appeared to show knowledge of the targeted people’s locations, workplaces and movements.
Advocates for Transformation said it has preserved all available evidence. It did not immediately say who was behind the messages.
Possible link to past disciplinary matters
The organisation said preliminary inquiries suggest the threats may be connected to earlier disciplinary proceedings involving a member of the Johannesburg Society of Advocates. Those proceedings took place when Khumalo chaired the society’s Professional Committee and sat on its Bar Council.
AFT stressed that the reported threats are not linked to Khumalo’s work on the Madlanga Commission. That distinction matters. The commission has become a high-profile forum in South Africa, drawing scrutiny as it investigates allegations of corruption and political interference in the criminal justice system.
President Cyril Ramaphosa established the inquiry after allegations made by KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi. The commission has already heard evidence from police and metro police officials, and its work has been extended beyond the original six-month timeline.
The latest claims add another layer of pressure around a process already marked by tension. Earlier this year, the commission resumed after a turbulent week that included alleged assassination attempts, a witness-linked death and a postponed appearance by a senior ANC member.
For now, the focus has shifted to the threats themselves — and to the people around Khumalo and Dewrance who say they have been pulled into the intimidation campaign.
