EXPLAINER: Madlanga task team swings into action: Arrests made as commission investigations deepen

It has been three months since President Cyril Ramaphosa instructed Police Minister Firoz Cachalia and the now-suspended Police Commissioner, Fannie Masemola, to establish a task team to investigate individuals implicated in the Madlanga Commission. The assigned officers have wasted no time in getting to work.

While the President’s original instruction was to investigate allegations and evidence heard within the Commission, the so-called Madlanga Task Team has already begun making arrests. Notably, the individuals apprehended thus far gave difficult testimonies before the Commission, sometimes even implicating themselves in wrongdoing. However, their specific arrests are technically unrelated to the evidence led during the inquiry.

MATIPANDILE SOTHENI

The first arrest made by the task team involved the December murder of "Witness D," Marius van de Merwe. In March, former Special Task Force member Matipandile Sotheni was arrested and charged with premeditated murder, among other counts. Sotheni has denied any wrongdoing while the task team continues its investigation. His quest for bail remains ongoing, a move the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) is firmly opposing.

FANNIE NKOSI

The two other cases investigated by the task team follow a different pattern. These suspects, now accused, were active witnesses at the Commission. On 2 April 2026—the day before the start of the Easter long weekend—Sergeant Fannie Nkosi’s house was raided by police.

Officers claim to have found seven guns on the property, including four in a safe that police claim was not properly mounted, one in a mattress, one under a bed, and another in his car. Members of the Madlanga Task Team also claim to have found over 400 rounds of ammunition, some of which were state-issued.

However, the discovery of dockets in Nkosi’s wendy house was described as truly outrageous. Of the six dockets recovered, four were originals—a fact Nkosi initially denied during bail proceedings. These dockets are linked to violent crimes such as robberies and cash-in-transit heists, and one had been missing since 2016. The state believes Nkosi stole the dockets to shield suspected criminals and frustrate police investigations.

While this case is shocking, it has no direct links to the evidence led at the Commission. Police claim they received a tip-off about suspicious activities at Nkosi’s house days after his suspension, which led to the raid. Some have questioned the veracity of these charges, suggesting that the task team wants Nkosi behind bars while they investigate him for more serious Commission-related charges.

At the Madlanga Commission, Nkosi was questioned regarding allegations of corruption and acting as a middleman between senior police officers and crime kingpins. He has also been linked to the awarding of a R2.9 billion Tshwane Metro Police tender to Ngaphesheya Security Services, a company owned by his brother. On Wednesday, 22 April, his bail was denied.

JULIUS MKHWANAZI AND KAGISO LERUTLA

Similar to Nkosi’s arrest, police say that during task team investigations, a person came forward with information about suspended Ekurhuleni Metro Police Deputy Chair Julius Mkhwanazi and Municipal Manager Kagiso Lerutla.

On the 4th and 5th of April, Mkhwanazi and Lerutla were arrested, but not for crimes linked to Mkhwanazi’s turbulent testimony. Instead, the arrest was for a speeding ticket. According to police, Lerutla was stopped by Boksburg police for speeding in March 2019 and issued a ticket. He was required to appear in court, but investigators allege that on the day of his appearance, he was due to be interviewed for the position of CFO—a job he would later secure. It is alleged that Lerutla had his driver impersonate him in court, and that Mkhwanazi organised the driver. The NPA is currently opposing their release on bail.

THE SCOPE OF THE TASK TEAM
While the task team is making arrests of individuals who have appeared before the Commission, the situation has raised questions as to why arrests are being made for crimes that have nothing to do with the inquiry. Police spokesperson Athlenda Mathe explains the situation:

“The Madlanga Commission of Inquiry is a critical tool. It’s a critical platform that has been established by the President to uncover the truth to get to the bottom of allegations of corruption, political interference and so on. As a result of that particular platform, a lot of other things are emerging, and people are seeing it as a platform to bring forward information on wrongdoing, on allegations of corruption, especially within the metros, within law enforcement, and within the SAPS as well. So the task team is only looking at evidence that has been led at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry; it’s also looking at other cases where there has been serious wrongdoing and gross misconduct of officials.”

Meanwhile, police have not ruled out the possibility of adding more charges against Nkosi, Mkhwanazi, Lerutla, and others as investigations proceed.