Madlanga Commission Hit by Fresh Witness Illness as Suliman Carrim Set to Miss Testimony Again
The Madlanga Commission has been dealt another setback after businessman Suliman Carrim was reportedly declared medically unfit to testify once again, deepening concerns over a growing pattern of witness absences that has frustrated both the commission and the public.
Carrim is currently receiving treatment at a medical facility outside Gauteng and is unlikely to appear before the commission on Wednesday. His legal team is expected to submit another medical report requesting that his testimony be postponed.
His expected absence adds to a series of delays that have slowed the high profile inquiry, with several key witnesses citing health reasons for their inability to appear.
Carrim has already missed previous hearings because of illness. The commission has previously warned that he could face prosecution under the Commissions Act if he refuses to undergo an independent medical examination ordered by the inquiry.
The latest development comes only days after Advocate Andrea Johnson, head of the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC), also failed to appear before the commission.
Johnson had been scheduled to testify on Monday, but her legal representatives informed the commission that she was too ill to attend. They also said the nature of her illness was confidential. Her testimony has since been postponed indefinitely.
Her evidence is regarded as significant because multiple witnesses have alleged that she interfered in an assault and intimidation case opened against the deputy head of Crime Intelligence, Major General Feroz Khan, in 2018 while serving as a senior prosecutor.
Johnson has consistently denied any wrongdoing.
The repeated medical postponements have drawn increasing criticism from the commission’s chairperson, Judge Mbuyiseli Madlanga, who questioned the quality of the medical evidence submitted to justify the delays.
“I have previously stated that these medical certificates are useless because they provide no information at all,” Madlanga said.
He questioned whether the certificates provided sufficient grounds for postponing testimony from witnesses whose evidence is considered central to the inquiry.
Khan has also not yet appeared before the commission, although his circumstances differ.
He was shot outside his Houghton home on 28 June, only days before he was due to testify. According to his legal team, he remains in recovery and is not yet able to provide instructions regarding his evidence.
The list of witnesses whose appearances have been delayed on medical grounds continues to grow. Among them are Medicare24 CEO Mike van Wyk and political activist Brown Mogotsi, both of whom have had their testimony postponed this year.
The mounting delays have sparked widespread debate on social media, where many South Africans have jokingly referred to a fictional “Madlanga Ward”, suggesting that key witnesses mysteriously fall ill shortly before they are due to testify.
Former EFF Member of Parliament Mbuyiseni Ndlozi and ActionSA Member of Parliament Dereleen James were among those who joined the online discussion, reflecting growing public scepticism over the repeated postponements.
Despite the criticism, the commission maintains that every request for a postponement is assessed on its own merits. However, it has stressed that medical certificates must contain enough detail to justify delaying proceedings.
With another key witness now expected to miss a scheduled appearance, questions continue to mount over how much longer the inquiry can withstand repeated interruptions before its timetable is pushed even further off course.
