Pretoria: The Minister of Justice and Constitutional Development, Mmamoloko Kubayi, has assured South Africans that the Madlanga Commission’s budgetary matters have been properly managed and communicated, with no formal concerns raised with the department.

According to South African Government News Agency, this statement follows reports that the commission’s former Chief Evidence Leader, Advocate Terry Motau SC, had expressed concerns about the commission’s budget. Motau’s departure from the commission was announced earlier this week.

Advocate Motau suggested that his decision to resign was influenced by budgetary issues and fears of budgetary shortfalls. However, the Minister emphasized that budgetary matters for the Commission have been managed appropriately and no formal budget concerns were raised with the Department. The statement also highlighted that Advocate Motau was directly involved in determining the fee structure for himself and his junior counsel.

The commission’s R147.9 million budget is categorized as follows: R10.898 million is allocated for the compensation of employees, including commissioners, evidence leaders, investigators, researchers, and secretariat staff. Goods and services, including communication, ICT, consultants, legal services, and travel, receive R100.744 million, while R36.258 million is allocated for secure ICT infrastructure.

The Commission operates from the Brigitte Mabandla Justice College, a state-owned facility, at no additional cost to the fiscus. Security-related expenditures will be disclosed in the Commission’s final report due to security reasons. The Minister reaffirmed her commitment to transparency and accountability, ensuring that the Commission is adequately resourced. She also encouraged Advocate Motau to clarify the reasons for his resignation rather than attributing undue liability to the Department concerning the budget.

Commission hearings are scheduled to resume on 13 October.