Advocate Andrea Johnson, head of the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC), informed the Madlanga Commission on 21 July 2026 that she could not submit documents related to the arrest of Crime Intelligence head Lieutenant-General Dumisani Khumalo, stating the documents were controlled by Deputy National Director of Public Prosecutions (DNDPP) Advocate Nicolette Bell and requesting a subpoena for their release.

Legal Proceedings And Internal Oversight Concerns

Johnson’s counsel, Advocate Apla Bodlani, told the Commission that the requested records were not in Johnson’s possession and urged the Commission to subpoena Advocate Bell directly. Bodlani explained, “In the short time that I’ve been involved with IDAC, my experience has been that there’s a lot of authorisations and red tape… the typical thing that you would find in government institutions,” during the hearing in Johannesburg.

The Madlanga Commission had previously subpoenaed Johnson for testimony after her absence due to health reasons on 13 July 2026. Her lawyer reported she was rushed to hospital the morning she was initially meant to appear. Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga commented on presented medical certificates, stating, “This is one of those medical certificates, the nature of which I’ve previously said are useless, in the sense that they give no information whatsoever.”

Admissions On Authorisation And Appointment Claims

During the hearings, Johnson admitted that IDAC investigators may have conducted corruption inquiries without proper authorisation. She told the Commission it was “an honest mistake,” acknowledging that oversight protocols may not have been followed within her directorate. This admission has led to concerns about the integrity and effectiveness of IDAC’s operations, which are under scrutiny as part of the Commission’s broader investigation into corruption within law enforcement agencies.

Johnson also withdrew her earlier claim that Brigadier Dineo Mokwele’s appointment within the directorate was a “token appointment,” after conceding she had not reviewed Mokwele’s qualifications, CV, or application documents. The retraction followed direct questioning by the Commission regarding her knowledge of Mokwele’s credentials.

The Commission’s inquiry remains ongoing as calls grow for greater transparency and accountability in anti-corruption operations. The next steps include determining whether a subpoena will be issued for documents held by DNDPP Bell and further examination of IDAC’s internal procedures.