Testimony during a major South African corruption investigation was briefly overshadowed Tuesday by an unscripted moment: a suspended police chief with a tissue on his forehead.
Julius Mkhwanazi, former deputy chief of the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department, was testifying before the Madlanga Commission when the awkward moment occurred.
Mkhwanazi, who was suspended in November 2025 over misconduct allegations, had wiped sweat from his face after answering questions from the committee.
However, some of the tissue stuck to his head.
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Julius Mkhwanazi, former deputy chief of the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department, testifies at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry at the Brigette Mabandla Judicial College in Pretoria, South Africa, on April 14, 2026. (SABC News)
The slip did not go unnoticed for long. Judge Mbuyiseli Madlanga stopped the proceedings as the audience took in the scene.
Lawyer Sesi Baloyi SC and Mbuyiseli Madlanga attend the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry at the Brigette Mabandla Judicial College in Pretoria on April 14, 2026. The commission was set up by President Cyril Ramaphosa to investigate allegations by KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi that South Africa’s criminal justice system had been compromised. (Frennie Shivambu/Gallo Images)
“Oh, there’s a tissue on your forehead,” Madlanga says to the ex-police chief.
“I’m sweaty,” says Mkhwanazi. “Thank you, thank you.”
Julius Mkhwanazi testifies at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry at the Brigette Mabandla Judicial College in Pretoria, South Africa, on April 14, 2026. (Frennie Shivambu/Gallo Images)
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The Madlanga Commission is a public inquiry investigating allegations of corruption and political interference in South Africa’s justice system. The current investigation heard testimony from current and former law enforcement officers.
Former deputy police chief Julius Mkhwanazi testifies at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry at the Brigette Mabandla Judicial College in Pretoria, South Africa, on April 14, 2026. The commission was set up by President Cyril Ramaphosa to investigate allegations by KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi about compromises in South Africa’s criminal justice system. (Frennie Shivambu/Gallo Images)
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Mkhwanazi has been under scrutiny since an internal audit recommended his suspension as part of a wider investigation into alleged misconduct.
