Commission warns of impersonators posing as Justice Madlanga in attempted extortion, interference

The Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Criminality, Political Interference and Corruption in the Criminal Justice System has warned the public about a surge in impersonation scams involving its chairperson, Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga.

In a statement on Tuesday, commission spokesperson Jeremy Michaels said several individuals have been posing as Justice Madlanga in an effort to interfere with the commission’s work, solicit bribes, extort money, and pressure legal practitioners and state officials into taking certain actions.

The commission cautioned that anyone found guilty of attempting to interfere with the work of the chairperson or commissioners faces a fine or up to six months’ imprisonment.

According to Michaels, the impersonation of Madlanga began while he was still serving on the Constitutional Court. The Office of the Chief Justice (OCJ) issued two warnings at the time after similar incidents surfaced.

He said since Madlanga’s appointment to the commission, the impersonations have “resumed in earnest”.

“Some communications are calculated to give the impression that the impersonator is the chairperson of the Commission. These communications have the potential to tarnish the chairperson's standing both in his personal capacity and in his capacity as chairperson of the Commission,” Michaels said.

Michaels said the impersonators have targeted private individuals, members of the executive, MPs, attorneys, advocates, national and local government officials, and police officers. They have allegedly used WhatsApp accounts displaying various photographs of Justice Madlanga as profile images.

Numbers used in the scams include 063 204 2566, 072 691 1537, 066 016 8448, 076 565 4480, and 063 160 0082. The commission said two of these 076 565 4480 and 063 160 0082 have been used in recent incidents.

He said motives behind the impersonations have varied.

Michaels said in some cases, the impersonator threatened attorneys involved in litigation, attempted to pressure state organs to act against their interests, requested money, or solicited bribes.

Madlanga believes the known cases represent only a fraction of incidents. “There is a strong probability that many people to whom impersonations have been made, especially those who do not know Justice Madlanga personally, would not have brought the impersonations to his attention,” he said.

The commission has reported the matter to law enforcement authorities and urged members of the public, public office bearers and state institutions to remain vigilant and not fall prey to the scam.