Madlanga Commission to consider Sifolo’s in-camera testimony bid

The Madlanga Commission is scheduled to hear arguments regarding an application requesting the in-camera presentation of testimony from Dr Ntandazo Sifolo, the Acting Coordinator of the National Intelligence Coordinating Committee (NICOC). The request, filed by the commission's evidence leaders on October 12, 2026, has been opposed by the amaBhungane Centre for Investigative Journalism, Daily Maverick, and Media24.

Commission Chairperson Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga announced on Monday that the in-camera application involving Dr Sifolo's evidence will be heard in an open session on Wednesday, October 21, 2026, at the commission's venue in Pretoria, commencing at 9 am. The applicants will be given 45 minutes to present their case, followed by 45 minutes for the respondents to argue their position.

The applicants will then have an additional 15 minutes to respond. Written submissions, which will be published on the commission's website, will be made by both parties. Dr Sifolo currently serves as the Acting Coordinator of NICOC, responsible for coordinating South Africa's intelligence structures. However, his scheduled testimony was postponed from October 13 to October 21, 2026.

An affidavit supporting the in-camera application described the anticipated evidence as highly sensitive, explaining that while the information has been declassified for use by the Commission, it should not be made public. The affidavit outlined that Dr Sifolo's testimony would cover the relationship between NICOC and other intelligence and security bodies, as well as the identification, assessment, and reporting of threats related to organized crime and the infiltration of the criminal justice system by criminal syndicates.