Suliman Carrim’s Sick Note Crumbles — Prosecutor Shiko Demands Proof at Madlanga Commission

Prosecutor Donald Shiko stood at the podium of the Madlanga Commission last week and did what few officials have been willing to do — he challenged Suliman Carrim’s repeated claim that deteriorating health kept him away from the inquiry.

Carrim, a former Member of Parliament who served on the finance committee during years the commission now scrutinises, allegedly cited medical conditions as the central justification for multiple absences from scheduled testimony. Investigators received documentation, but Shiko questioned whether those records genuinely explained the full pattern of non-attendance.

“The commission cannot simply accept a succession of health-related deferrals without independent verification,” Shiko told presiding officer Justice Sifiso Madlanga during Tuesday’s sitting in Johannesburg. Madlanga acknowledged the concern, directing the legal team to obtain corroborating medical evidence from Carrim’s treating physicians before any further postponement receives approval.

The Madlanga Commission, established to probe alleged irregularities within Parliament’s oversight structures during the state-capture era, has struggled to secure testimony from several high-profile figures who served in key legislative roles between 2009 and 2019. Carrim’s committee position gave him direct exposure to financial decisions that now draw scrutiny, making his account valuable to investigators piecing together how billions moved through government channels unchallenged.

One detail that struck observers in the public gallery: Shiko placed two thick lever-arch folders on the desk before delivering his challenge — a quiet signal that the prosecution holds considerably more material than Carrim’s legal representatives may have anticipated. A source familiar with proceedings, speaking on condition of anonymity, described the moment as the first time the inquiry visibly shifted from patient to assertive.

Carrim’s attorneys have not yet responded publicly to the demand for independent medical verification, and no new hearing date has been confirmed. Whether the former legislator will ultimately take the witness stand — or whether his legal team will mount a constitutional challenge to compelled testimony — remains entirely unresolved. For the families of civil servants who lost livelihoods during the very period this commission examines, the question is not medical at all: will anyone powerful enough to know the full story ever be made to tell it?

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