Illustrative image | Madlanga Commission logo. (Photo: Felix Dlangamandla) | Idac Head Andrea Johnson. (Photo: Gallo Images / Brenton Geach)
Another Madlanga Commission of Inquiry witness has called in sick.
Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (Idac) head Andrea Johnson was scheduled to testify before the commission on Monday, 13 July 2026.
However, when proceedings started a legal representative of hers, Advocate Apla Bodlani SC, said that shortly before he arrived at the venue a telephone call had come through.
‘Rushed to hospital’ and ‘useless certificate’
“[It was] from one of Advocate Johnson’s protectors informing us that she’s not able to be with us. They are rushing her to hospital.”
The nature of what caused this was not detailed.
Bodlani simply said she had experienced “some serious health-related issues” and had essentially been booked off from 13 to 15 July.
A medical certificate was supplied.
Commission chairperson Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga said the certificate was one of those which were basically useless because “they give no information whatsoever”.
He added: “It’s just one of those useless, so-called medical certificates.”
Johnson’s statement prepared for the commission was key to Monday’s anticipated proceedings, which therefore could not continue without her.
Last week, the commission heard that while Johnson was still a senior prosecutor at the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA), she had allegedly passed along the contents of a confidential criminal complaint to the individual accused in it.
That individual was Crime Intelligence’s Feroz Khan.
The complaint on that saga was from Brigadier Lenora Phetlhe, who alleges that Khan assaulted and intimidated her during an altercation at Crime Intelligence headquarters on 26 June 2018.
Khan’s alleged access to the complaint before submitting his own warning statement suggested he could have crafted his version of events based on the complaint.
This, along with other issues, is what Johnson was expected to testify about on Monday.
Khan, Van Wyk and Carrim
As for Khan, he was wounded in a shooting in Johannesburg at the end of last month just before he was meant to testify before the commission.
This left him unable to appear before the commission. However, proceedings had continued and covered evidence against him, which Khan would have a chance to respond to at a later stage.
/file/attachments/2994/feroz_khan_20260630061322_102365.jpeg "Senior Crime Intelligence officer Feroz Khan, whose messages to some others have been the focus of Madlanga Commission of Inquiry proceedings. (Photo: Antonio Muchave / Gallo Images)")
Others who have been scheduled to testify before the Madlanga Commission and who have not been able to due to medical issues, include organised crime accused Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala’s business associate Mike van Wyk.
Van Wyk was said to be having panic attacks.
ANC-aligned businessman Suliman Carrim has also not been present to resume his testimony before the commission, and his legal representatives had also explained that this was due to medical reasons.
‘Rogue element’ claims and denial
The Madlanga Commission has been investigating accusations, initially made by KwaZulu-Natal police boss Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, that a drug cartel has infiltrated the criminal justice sector, politics and private security.
Johnson, had she testified on Monday, would have publicly addressed issues relating to this scandal for the second time.
Towards the end of last year, she testified before Parliament’s ad hoc committee that was running hearings parallel to the Madlanga Commission.
At that stage, she had denied a suggestion that Mkhwanazi had made – that a rogue element was running through Idac.
The Madlanga Commission is expected to proceed on Tuesday when Matlala may be called as a witness. DM