The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) has argued that the repeated extension of the Madlanga Commission without full disclosure of its progress and recommendations undermines transparency and public confidence in the inquiry.
The party welcomed the extension, but criticised the manner in which the Presidency has managed the inquiry, saying it lacks certainty and transparency.
On Thursday, Ramaphosa extended the lifespan of the commission, with its final report now due on November 16, 2026 instead of the original deadline of August 31, 2026.
“The Commission will submit its report on Monday, 16 November 2026, instead of 31 August 2026, as anticipated originally.”
Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said the extension sets an evidence deadline of Friday, October 2, 2026, and a reporting deadline of Monday, November 16, 2026.
“The extension granted by the President sets an evidence deadline of Friday, 2 October 2026, and a reporting deadline of Monday, 16 November 2026, to enable the Commission to close off topics it has opened up in the course of hearings to date.
“The extension allows the Commission to hear evidence on all of the matters listed in its terms of reference.
“Without an extension, the Commission will have to leave large parts of its work unfinished,” Magwenya said.
The extension comes after the commission confirmed that it had entered discussions with the Presidency over a possible extension of its deadlines amid growing pressure to conclude its high-profile inquiry.
In a statement, the EFF said it noted Ramaphosa’s decision to extend, for a second time, the lifespan of the commission.
The party said it recognised that the commission had uncovered troubling evidence relating to the infiltration of South Africa’s criminal justice system by organised criminal syndicates, abuse of state institutions, political interference in law enforcement agencies and widespread corruption.
“However, the manner in which the Presidency continues to administer the Commission through piecemeal announcements provides neither certainty nor transparency,” EFF spokesperson Thembi Msane said.
She said this was now the second extension granted to the commission, yet Ramaphosa had failed to explain how much time the commission genuinely required to complete its work.
“President Ramaphosa refuses to state openly how much time the Commission genuinely requires to complete its mandate, nor any comprehensive explanation of the Commission’s outstanding work, the anticipated completion of its investigations, or whether adequate financial and institutional resources have been made available to ensure that no further delays become necessary,” Msane said.
She also criticised the continued secrecy surrounding the commission’s interim reports.
According to Msane, the first interim report was submitted to Ramaphosa in December 2025 and contained recommendations that resulted in referrals for criminal investigations, prosecutorial consideration and administrative action against implicated individuals.
“The second interim report was submitted in May 2026 and the Presidency has similarly acknowledged that it contains recommendations requiring further prosecutorial and investigative action while the Commission continues its work.
“Yet despite these significant developments, both interim reports remain hidden from the South African public.”
She argued that the commission belonged to the people of South Africa and not the president.
“These are not matters of private correspondence between the Commission and the President but they concern the constitutional integrity of the Republic itself.”
Msane said it was unacceptable that Ramaphosa alone determined what information the public could access while implementing recommendations contained in reports that had not been made public.
She said the lack of transparency was particularly concerning because one of the structural problems contributing to the current crisis was the continued location of the State Security Agency within the Presidency.
“The concentration of intelligence authority under the direct political control of the President has repeatedly created opportunities for abuse, manipulation and political interference. President Ramaphosa is himself not a detached observer of these concerns,” she said.
Msane further claimed that the independent panel established under Section 89 of the Constitution had found prima facie evidence that, following the theft at Phala Phala, Ramaphosa allegedly used members of the South African Police Service and elements associated with state security to investigate a matter concerning his personal business interests.
“Those findings demonstrated precisely why intelligence and policing institutions cannot be subordinated to the political interests of the President of the Republic,” she said.
The EFF called for the immediate publication of both interim reports, subject only to limited redactions necessary to protect ongoing criminal investigations, witnesses and national security concerns.
“The public deserves to understand the basis upon which repeated extensions are being granted, the progress already achieved by the Commission, and the recommendations that have already informed criminal investigations and executive decisions,” Msane said.
While supporting the commission’s work, the party argued that its terms of reference remained too narrow to address the full extent of criminal infiltration across South Africa’s law enforcement institutions.
“It is therefore concerning that several institutions and jurisdictions where credible allegations of criminal capture already exist fall outside the effective scope of the Commission’s work,” she said.
Msane pointed to the City of Cape Town, which she said had not featured meaningfully in the inquiry despite the arrest of former Democratic Alliance mayoral committee member for human settlements Malusi Booi on allegations linked to a construction and extortion syndicate.
She also questioned why there had been little scrutiny of the eThekwini Metro Police and other metropolitan police departments despite longstanding allegations of corruption and collusion with organised crime.
“The EFF therefore believes that while the Commission must be afforded the time and resources necessary to complete its current mandate, its findings should not mark the end of South Africa’s reckoning with criminal infiltration of the state.
“Their work must produce broader investigations into all institutions where credible evidence of organised criminal influence exists, irrespective of which political party governs them. No municipality, police service, or intelligence structure should be beyond scrutiny,” she said.
Meanwhile, EFF leader Julius Malema has rejected allegations linking him to senior Crime Intelligence official Feroz Khan, while the Madlanga Commission remains undecided on whether he will be called to testify.
Khan is recovering in hospital after being seriously wounded in what is believed to have been an attempted hit last month.
Central to the hearings are WhatsApp messages exchanged between Khan and a man accused of tobacco smuggling, Mohammed “Mo” Sayed.
The commission heard that messages allegedly point to interactions involving Malema and form part of the commission’s ongoing investigation.
According to evidence presented to the commission, the messages allegedly suggest that Malema, Khan and Sayed were involved in discussions relating to the removal of former Inspector-General of Intelligence Isaac Dintwe.
