Final checks underway as Madlanga Commission hearings begin
Officials were doing final checks on Tuesday ahead of the start of the hearings of the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry in Pretoria.
The commission was set up to investigation allegations corruption and political interference in the criminal justice system.
In July, KZN's police commission, Nhlanhla Mkwanazi shocked the country with claims that political interference led to an attempt to disband the KZN Political Killings Task Team.
He implicated minister Senzo Mchunu, now on special leave along with Deputy Police Commissioner Shadrack Sibiya, who has reportedly been suspended.
On Wednesday, Mkhwanazi will be the first witness to take the stand.
An auditorium in the Bridgette Mabandla Justice College campus has been turned into somewhat of a courtroom with a witness box.
There are three seats where the head of the commission, Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga, will sit with two other commissioners.
Three hundred members of the public will be allowed into the venue.
READ: Mkhwanazi evidence ‘crucial’ to Madlanga Commission success
Spokesperson for the Commission, Jeremy Michaels, took Newswatch on a tour of the auditorium.
He made it clear that security is a top priority.
"The precinct will be under lockdown. There is very very tight security in place," said Michaels.
“And, obviously, given the very sensitive nature of the commissions work, given the very serious allegations of corruption and infiltration by criminal syndicates, we have been treating the security of the commission and the precinct as absolutely high priority and we have been uncompromising around those aspects."
The hearings will run for the next three months.
Meanwhile, there has been rising criticism over what the commission is reportedly set to cost taxpayers.
The sum is understood to be just over R147 million.
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