JUST IN | Madlanga Commission grants Witness P in-camera testimony

The Madlanga Commission has decided to grant in-camera testimony to Witness P due to potential risks in exposing sensitive intelligence. The public proceedings were temporarily adjourned as the witness's evidence will now be heard in private. The commission is scheduled to resume public hearings on Monday at 9:30am.

Witness P requested that all future appearances before the inquiry be held in camera, with his evidence and supporting material kept confidential. This request arose from a clandestine counter-intelligence operation targeting a drug gang in Durban. In his initial affidavit, the officer stated that the operation was based on electronic surveillance of communications and informants.

At the inquiry, Witness P is expected to guide the commissioners through telephone-intercept transcripts, intelligence reports, and other records produced during the operation. He aims to explain what the material reveals and why it is relevant to the inquiry. The documents are classified but were declassified to be presented to the commission.

Witness P cautioned that open testimony could jeopardize intelligence protections and expose individuals who assisted the police operation. His primary concern is that revealing the identities of informants could place them in danger if the gang's targets were to identify them. He also warned that disclosing the intelligence gathered could undermine the operation itself by informing targets of what the police know and what remains unknown. This could weaken future intelligence-gathering efforts and jeopardize ongoing security measures.