According to IOL, senior advocate serving on the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry has become the target of an escalating campaign of threats and intimidation, according to Advocates for Transformation (AFT).
Advocate Sandile Khumalo SC, who is one of the commissioners investigating allegations of criminality, political interference and corruption within South Africa’s criminal justice system, has allegedly received threatening communications alongside AFT national chairperson Advocate Myron Dewrance SC.
Members of Dewrance’s family and people close to him have also allegedly been targeted.
AFT said it initially chose not to make the matter public but decided to break its silence after the threats became increasingly aggressive and, in the organisation’s account, escalated to include explicit threats of sexual violence against women.
Threats allegedly sent from multiple cellphone numbers
According to AFT, the communications were sent from several cellphone numbers and repeatedly referred to Khumalo and Dewrance.
The organisation said some of the messages also invoked AFT by name and allegedly contained claims that the senders knew the locations, workplaces or movements of people being targeted.
AFT said it has preserved the available evidence and is pursuing lawful avenues to protect those affected.
The organisation has, however, stopped short of identifying a suspected perpetrator.
It stressed that its own enquiries remain preliminary and that determining who is responsible is a matter for further investigation.
Possible connection to earlier disciplinary proceedings
AFT said its preliminary enquiries suggest that the apparent grievance behind the threats may be connected to professional disciplinary proceedings involving a member of the Johannesburg Society of Advocates.
The advocate concerned had faced allegations of serious professional misconduct.
At the time, Khumalo was chairperson of the JSA’s Professional Committee and also served on the organisation’s Bar Council after being nominated by AFT.
According to AFT, some of the threatening communications blame Khumalo for events surrounding those proceedings and allegedly tell Dewrance and members of his family to “blame Sandile”.
The messages have also allegedly referred repeatedly to AFT, its leadership and members.
But AFT has been careful not to turn the suspected link into an accusation.
The organisation specifically said it is not accusing the advocate who was the subject of the disciplinary proceedings, the Johannesburg Society of Advocates or any identified individual of sending or being responsible for the threats.
That distinction is important because the investigation into the source of the communications remains ongoing.
Khumalo’s role on the Madlanga Commission
Khumalo was appointed as one of the commissioners of the Madlanga Commission alongside acting Deputy Chief Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga, who serves as chairperson, and Advocate Sesi Baloyi SC. The commission was established to investigate allegations concerning criminality, political interference and corruption within South Africa’s criminal justice system.
The inquiry has heard testimony concerning alleged corruption, interference and intimidation within law enforcement and the broader criminal justice system.
That makes any alleged attempt to intimidate one of its commissioners particularly sensitive, although AFT has indicated that the threats it is reporting are not being attributed to Khumalo’s work on the commission.
Instead, the organisation says the apparent link is to Khumalo’s previous professional responsibilities within the legal profession.
Legal profession raises alarm
The allegations have prompted condemnation from organisations within South Africa’s legal profession.
The Legal Practice Council has condemned the reported threats against Khumalo and Dewrance, while the Johannesburg Society of Advocates has also reportedly called for the matter to be investigated urgently.
The concern extends beyond the two advocates themselves.
AFT argues that intimidation of lawyers, prosecutors, investigators and other people involved in the administration of justice can have consequences for the rule of law if professionals begin making decisions based on fear.
The organisation has particularly condemned the alleged threats directed at family members and the reported escalation to sexual violence.
AFT warns against intimidation of justice officials
AFT said threats against people carrying out professional responsibilities should not be allowed to become a means of influencing legal or disciplinary processes.
The organisation warned that South Africa has previously witnessed extreme violence against people involved in the justice system and said intimidation must be confronted before it escalates further.
It has vowed to use every lawful avenue available to protect those affected and to ensure that whoever is responsible is identified and held accountable.
At the same time, AFT said it would not disclose operational or investigative details that could compromise ongoing efforts to establish the source of the threats.
No suspect publicly identified
For now, no individual has been publicly identified as being behind the threats.
That remains one of the most important aspects of the developing story.
While AFT has outlined a possible connection to earlier disciplinary proceedings, it has explicitly separated that preliminary line of enquiry from any allegation of responsibility.
The reported threats therefore remain a matter for investigation rather than proof of wrongdoing by any person or organisation.
The focus now shifts to whether law enforcement can establish who sent the communications, determine the motive behind them and ensure adequate protection for the advocates and their families.
For a legal system already under scrutiny over allegations of corruption and criminal infiltration, the reported intimidation of a serving commission member adds another troubling dimension to the wider debate about the safety and independence of South Africa’s justice officials.
