Madlanga Commission: Feroz Khan's Testimony Remains a Major Flashpoint

South Africa · Madlanga Commission of Inquiry

Madlanga Commission of Inquiry, Pretoria  |  Updated September 1–2, 2026

Few figures at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry have generated as much sustained controversy without ever testifying as Major-General Feroz Khan. The suspended deputy head of Crime Intelligence has now had his appearance before the commission postponed multiple times, most recently pushed from September 1 to September 28 — a delay the commission only granted on the condition that Khan submit to an independent medical assessment, after his legal team's account of his health was met with open skepticism from the presiding judge.

A shooting that reshaped the case

Khan's path to the witness stand has been unusual from the start. He was originally ordered to testify on July 1, 2026, after abandoning legal bids to keep his testimony in camera and to block the commission's access to electronic devices seized during a raid on his Houghton apartment in May. But before that date arrived, Khan was shot multiple times in a suspected assassination attempt in Houghton on the night of June 28, and was rushed to hospital in critical condition. His legal team subsequently argued that his testimony was of an especially sensitive nature — potentially endangering not only Khan's life but the safety of the wider intelligence community and the identities of informants — and sought a closed hearing.

With Khan hospitalised, the commission opted not to wait. Evidence leader Advocate Matthew Chaskalson pressed ahead with reading damaging evidence into the record in Khan's absence during July hearings, including WhatsApp messages that investigators allege show Khan sharing confidential SAPS procurement information in exchange for kickbacks, and evidence linking him to a R360-million SAPS Health Risk Management contract connected to businessman Vusimuzi "Cat" Matlala's associate Mohamed "Mo" Sayed.

The unexplained wealth allegations

Among the most striking evidence presented against Khan has been financial disclosure material suggesting a lifestyle far exceeding what a police salary could support. The commission heard that Khan's financial records pointed to a property portfolio worth roughly R39 million, and that he had purchased 30 vehicles in a single year — details presented alongside allegations of his role in securing a lucrative SAPS tender through allegedly illicit means, including cash payments.

A central focus of the commission's inquiry into Khan has been his alleged relationship with controversial businessman Ishmael Vally, with investigators presenting evidence they say shows a pattern of confidential procurement information being traded for financial benefit.

The sick-note controversy

By late August, the question shifted from what Khan knew to whether he would appear at all. Khan's testimony was formally scheduled for September 1, but his legal team sought yet another postponement, citing what they described only as a "medical impediment," while declining on privacy grounds to disclose further detail. Evidence leaders pushed back hard, revealing that the commission had followed up with Khan's legal representatives six times both before and after the June shooting, and that his legal team had made at least three separate commitments to submit his outstanding written statement — originally due June 22 — without following through.

Matters escalated further when scrutiny fell on the legitimacy of Khan's medical documentation itself. Reporting on the hearing characterized the dispute over one submitted sick note in blunt terms — "it was a lie" — as questions mounted over whether certificates presented to justify his repeated absences had been doctored or backdated. The controversy over Khan's medical excuses had also already surfaced in a separate, parallel legal proceeding: a Labour Court challenge Khan brought against a SAPS disciplinary process that had found him guilty of misconduct and bringing the police service into disrepute. That challenge was struck from the roll on August 31 after Judge Connie Prinsloo ruled the Labour Court lacked jurisdiction over the matter — with Khan's union, POPCRU, ordered to pay the costs.

The commission draws a line

Commission chair Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga ultimately ruled on September 1 that Khan had failed to provide sufficient information to justify a further open-ended postponement. Rather than accept another unverified excuse, Madlanga ordered that Khan must appear in person on September 28 unless he voluntarily submits to an independent medical assessment — conducted by a specialist agreed upon by both his own representatives and the commission's evidence leaders — that confirms he is genuinely unable to testify. Khan's lawyer, Muhammed Vally, opposed the push for independent evaluation, arguing a further medical examination could worsen his client's condition, and has separately asked the commission to keep the specifics of Khan's medical condition confidential given that he was the target of a shooting by unknown assailants.

Justice Madlanga drew a clear distinction in his ruling: "General Khan's condition must be disclosed, but what must not be disclosed are the details concerning that condition" — allowing the fact of his medical issue to be placed on the record while shielding the specifics of his diagnosis, treatment and family circumstances from public disclosure.

Underscoring the commission's growing impatience, the spokesperson for the inquiry, Jeremy Michaels, confirmed that Khan remains under subpoena and stressed the importance of hearing his account directly: "It is important for the commission to hear Major-General Khan's side of the story and therefore, he is required to testify before the commission." Justice Madlanga has also flagged the shrinking window available, noting that the commission's public hearings are scheduled to conclude on October 2 — leaving comparatively little room for further delay if Khan's evidence is to be heard at all before that deadline.

Timeline of the Feroz Khan saga

Date	Development
May 11, 2026	Khan's Houghton apartment raided; electronic devices seized
June 8, 2026	Khan abandons legal bids to block device access and hold in-camera hearing
June 9, 2026	Khan formally ordered to testify on July 1
June 22, 2026	Deadline for Khan's written statement passes without submission
June 28, 2026	Khan shot multiple times in suspected assassination attempt in Houghton
July 6–7, 2026	Commission hears evidence against Khan in absentia (R39m property, 30 vehicles, tender allegations)
August 25–26, 2026	SAPS disciplinary inquiry finds Khan guilty of misconduct
August 31, 2026	Khan's Labour Court challenge struck from the roll
September 1, 2026	Scheduled testimony postponed again; independent medical assessment ordered
September 28, 2026	New date set for Khan's in-person testimony
October 2, 2026	Commission's public hearings scheduled to conclude

Why it matters

Khan's case has become emblematic of the broader challenges facing the Madlanga Commission as it works toward its conclusion: balancing a genuine need to protect a shooting victim's safety and medical privacy against mounting evidence that procedural delays may be being used to avoid scrutiny altogether. With the commission's public hearings set to wrap up in early October, whether Khan ultimately testifies in person on September 28 — and what he says when he does — is likely to remain one of the most closely watched threads of the entire inquiry.

Sources

• Daily Maverick — "Khan's medical excuses face independent scrutiny at Madlanga Commission"
• Eyewitness News — "Madlanga Commission rejects Feroz Khan's sick note, postpones testimony to September 28"
• Mail & Guardian — "Khan's sick-note saga delays his testimony at Madlanga commission"
• The Citizen — "'It was a lie': Feroz Khan's doctored sick note in the spotlight at Madlanga commission"
• The Citizen — "Feroz Khan loses Labour Court bid as Madlanga commission testimony hangs in the balance"
• eNCA — "Feroz Khan seeks closed hearing at Madlanga Commission"
• eNCA — "Feroz Khan ordered to testify at Madlanga Commission on 1 July"
• Daily Maverick — "Feroz Khan's confiscated devices now accessible to Madlanga Commission investigators"
• IOL — "LIVE | Madlanga Commission probes Feroz Khan's R39m property portfolio and 30 vehicles"
• IOL — "LIVE | Madlanga Commission continues hearing evidence against Feroz Khan"

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