Madlanga Commission to obtain statement from Serge Cabonge over claims of dropped charges

The Madlanga Commission of Inquiry is set to interview socialite Serge Cabonge, following a claim made in an audio recording that he allegedly used his police connections to help secure the withdrawal of criminal charges against the daughter of a man connected to the inquiry. Commission spokesperson Jeremy Michaels announced the commission's decision on Tuesday, noting that Cabonge's voice recordings were heard during former deputy national police commissioner Shadrack Sibiya's bail hearing at Randburg Magistrate's Court.

The commission's statement indicated that Cabonge's claims have been previously mentioned in hearings before the commission, and they will engage with him to obtain his statement as part of their broader investigation into matters within their mandate. The commission, tasked with examining criminality, political interference, and corruption within South Africa's criminal justice system, will not comment further on the matter for now.

The recordings, which were played in court during Sibiya's bail hearing, oppose his release on allegations of rape, sexual grooming of a minor, and human trafficking. The approximately 25-minute recording captured a conversation between Cabonge and a man identified as Mr. M, whose identity is withheld to protect his teenage daughter.

During the conversation, Cabonge claimed he used his police connections to intervene in a case involving a woman carrying a child, resulting in the withdrawal of charges within a week. The recording was authenticated by Detective-Sergeant Nokukhanya Ndlovu, who is investigating the case. Sibiya's lawyer questioned why the recording was being played in court, as Sibiya was not the subject of the conversation.

The defence later decided not to introduce the recording and made it available to the state. The Madlanga Commission's inquiry into Cabonge's claims aims to establish further details about his allegations and his reference to a person allegedly linked to the commission's proceedings.