Witness protection programme under fire after Madlanga Commission error

Serious concerns have been raised over the safety of witnesses at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry after the names of two protected witnesses were mistakenly revealed during this week’s proceedings.

The Commission, which is investigating links between politicians, police officers, and organised crime, has come under fire for what observers call a 'dangerous breach' that could place lives at risk.

Anti-crime campaigner, whistleblower and former witness protection participant Roegshanda Pascoe (speaking from an undisclosed location) described the exposure as "one of the worst things that could happen" to witnesses.

Pascoe says South Africa’s witness protection system is under-resourced and vulnerable, with witnesses often forced to fend for themselves financially and rely on limited state security support.

"My case was in 2016. In 2019, I had to go to court and testify. Before I even went to testify, people in the community already knew, and already then, I had to sit with the fact that the perpetrator's family members came and threatened me.

"If your identity is out there, it' not about you just testifying; your family can be threatened.

"That is the leverage you have given to them once they know your identity, whoever the perpetrator is, in any case. In my case, the night before I had to testify, they came to execute the hit, and who was in the firing line? Luckily for me, I haven't told anybody, not the state prosecutor, not the investigating officer, that I had a safety plan in place aside from what they have undertaken.

"What we must understand, our state does not have the money to really secure."

Pascoe warned that leaks of protected identities (whether due to negligence, bribery, or incompetence) can have devastating consequences for witnesses and their families and reflect a broader erosion of trust in the justice system.

To listen to Pascoe in conversation with CapeTalk's Lester Kiewit, click below: