A chilling admission has emerged from the Madlanga Commission, where a key witness revealed that the assassination of former ANC Youth League secretary Sindiso Magaqa could have been stopped.
Known as Witness E, the man told the commission that he was warned in advance about the plot to kill Magaqa. According to his testimony, the gunmen themselves informed him that they had been hired to carry out the murder, insisting the information came directly from them and was not based on rumours.
Despite receiving this warning, Witness E failed to take action. Under questioning, he could not clearly explain why no steps were taken to prevent the attack.
Witness E described himself as an experienced intelligence operative, claiming a flawless track record in infiltrating drug cartels, stock-theft syndicates and cash-in-transit gangs. He told the commission that suspects he previously identified were either imprisoned or killed.
Magaqa, who was 35 years old, was shot alongside two fellow councillors on 13 July 2017. The attack happened outside a general dealer following a council meeting in southern KwaZulu-Natal. He later died on 4 September 2017 from complications related to the shooting.
In July 2025, one of the hitmen linked to the murder was sentenced to 25 years in prison.
Commission chair Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga pressed Witness E on the serious failure to act, questioning how such detailed intelligence could be ignored. When asked whether the gunmen had also named those who helped plan the killing, Witness E confirmed they had, claiming the alleged masterminds were his superiors.
However, he refused to reveal any names, citing safety concerns and operational limitations.
The witness ultimately agreed that the murder could have been prevented if action had been taken between the warning and the shooting.
His testimony comes amid broader scrutiny over alleged political interference in the investigation into Magaqa’s killing, an issue that continues to raise troubling questions about accountability, intelligence failures and justice.