News24 and the Madlanga Commission: what readers should know

What is News24?

News24 is a South African news publisher with an online platform. The reference supplied for this article identifies Media24 as its owner ⁴. That source is a general reference page, not a detailed company profile, so this article does not rely on it for wider claims about News24’s business or audience.

Here, searches for “news24” appear alongside reports about the Madlanga Commission and Feroz Khan. News24 itself reported that Khan, a former senior Crime Intelligence official, had filed a statement and would appear before the inquiry ¹.

Why are people searching for News24 now?

Recent headlines provide a likely connection: several reports focus on Khan’s appearance and the handling of his evidence. News24 said he had filed a delayed statement and confirmed he would attend ¹. EWN reported that some of his testimony would be heard privately after evidence leaders applied for a closed hearing ².

The sources do not explain the rise in searches or views, so they cannot show exactly what caused people to look up News24. They do show that the current coverage concerns a public inquiry and questions about how witnesses give evidence.

What is the Madlanga Commission, and what is Khan’s role?

The reports describe the Madlanga Commission as an inquiry dealing with issues involving policing and witnesses. They identify Khan as a dismissed or former senior Crime Intelligence official who is due to give evidence ¹².

EWN reports an accusation that Khan allowed corruption into the South African Police Service ². That is an allegation, not proof of wrongdoing. The information supplied here does not include his full statement or the commission’s final conclusions, so readers should not treat the accusation as a finding.

What does an in-camera hearing mean?

An in-camera hearing is conducted privately instead of being open to the public. EWN reports that some portions of Khan’s evidence were to be heard this way after evidence leaders raised concern that public disclosure could affect ongoing investigations ². The report says only designated officials would attend those portions.

For readers, this means that some details may not be available in public reports while the hearing takes place. The sources do not say what the private evidence contains or whether it will be released later. A private hearing alone does not settle whether any allegation is true.

What can happen if a witness does not attend?

A subpoena is a formal requirement to attend or provide evidence. The supplied IOL report discusses two witnesses who did not appear before the Madlanga Commission and considers possible consequences ³. It says businessman Suliman Carrim did not follow directions to attend or to undergo an independent medical assessment, after citing ill health.

The report also describes the earlier case involving former president Jacob Zuma. It says that in 2021 the Constitutional Court ordered him to appear before the Zondo Commission, and that after he disobeyed that order he received a 15-month prison sentence for contempt ³. That account does not mean every missed commission appearance automatically leads to arrest or imprisonment. The supplied extract does not give a final outcome for Carrim or Khan.

What does this mean for an ordinary reader?

The main practical point is that public coverage may not include every detail while some evidence is heard in private. The available reports also describe allegations and procedural questions rather than final decisions about Khan or the other witnesses ¹²³.

When following the story, keep allegations separate from established findings, and note whether a report describes a commission direction, a witness’s response, or a court decision. The sources provided do not answer what Khan’s statement contains, what the commission will ultimately conclude, or what consequences may follow for each witness.