Public Interest SA lodges formal complaint with IDAC Oversight Judge
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
PRETORIA | Wednesday, 29 July 2026 - Public Interest SA has today lodged a formal complaint with the Office of the IDAC Oversight Judge concerning the administration of its corruption complaint by the Investigating Directorate Against Corruption (IDAC).
The complaint does not seek to interfere with any criminal investigation or prosecutorial decision. Rather, it requests the Oversight Judge to review whether the complaint has been administered in accordance with the constitutional principles of legality, accountability, transparency and procedural fairness.
Public Interest SA's complaint follows a series of exchanges with IDAC after the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI) referred the organisation's complaint to IDAC on the basis that the allegations already formed part of an existing investigation.
Over the weeks that followed, Public Interest SA addressed several courteous procedural enquiries to IDAC requesting acknowledgement of receipt, confirmation of the complaint's status, the allocation of a reference number and reasonable administrative updates. Those enquiries were directed solely at obtaining procedural clarity and were never intended to influence the substance or outcome of the investigation.
The complaint lodged with the Oversight Judge raises concerns regarding the accuracy of subsequent communications received from IDAC, the adequacy of procedural engagement with the complainant and whether the administration of the complaint has met the standards expected of an independent anti-corruption investigative directorate.
Public Interest SA has annexed the complete chronology of correspondence exchanged with IDAC to enable the Oversight Judge to assess the matter against the contemporaneous documentary record.
Recent developments before the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry have further underscored the importance of ensuring that corruption investigations involving senior public officials are administered in a manner that is demonstrably independent, transparent and beyond reproach.
"Public Interest SA makes no findings regarding evidence currently before the Commission and recognises that those proceedings must be allowed to run their course. Nevertheless, the developments reinforce the need for robust institutional oversight and the maintenance of public confidence in the administration of justice," says Tebogo Khaas, chairperson of Public Interest SA.
Public Interest SA wishes to emphasise that its complaint should not be interpreted as criticism of IDAC's investigative independence or prosecutorial discretion. Independent oversight strengthens, rather than weakens, public confidence in institutions charged with investigating corruption.
The organisation remains committed to supporting the rule of law, institutional accountability and the independence of South Africa's criminal justice system. It is precisely because these institutions perform a constitutional function of profound public importance that their administrative processes must be transparent, fair and capable of withstanding objective scrutiny.
Public Interest SA trusts that the Oversight Judge will give the complaint careful consideration and make such recommendations as may be necessary to uphold the integrity of IDAC's processes and to reinforce public confidence in the fight against corruption.
ENDS
Media Enquiries:
Bagaetsho Oteng | Email: media@publicinterest.org.za WhatsApp: 084 566 5400
