Despite the recommendations of the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) that disciplinary action be taken against Ekurhuleni Deputy Metro Police Chief, Julius Mkhwanazi, for ‘corruption’, it never happened due to interference.

Mkhwanazi had allegedly entered into two memorandums of understanding with attempted murder-accused tenderpreneur Vusimuzi ‘Cat’ Matlala’s companies, CAT VIP Security and Medicare24, without his boss’s knowledge.

He also allegedly fitted blue lights in vehicles belonging to CAT VIP Security. 

According to Jabulani Isaac Mapiyeye, the suspended chief of police of the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department (EMPD), a media query received by EMPD in February 2023 regarding the use of blue lights in civilian vehicles, with the seeming approval of EMPD, sparked an internal probe.

Mapiyeye told the Madlanga Commission that: “At the time of receiving this enquiry, I was on leave, and the Deputy Chief of Police for Auxiliary and Support Services, Revo Spies, who was appointed as acting metro police chief in my absence, initiated an investigation into allegations.” 

He highlighted that “the allegations were that Brigadier Mkhwanazi had, among others, unlawfully authorised the installation of blue lights in the vehicles in question. The vehicles in question were said to belong to CAT VIP Security (owned by ‘Cat’ Matlala).” 

He said such an installation would be unlawful, as the use of blue lights, in terms of the National Road Traffic Act of 1996, is restricted for use by state law enforcement services.

He added that upon his return from leave, he received a report that, following this investigation, the matter had been referred to the Internal Affairs Unit, Compliance Division, as well as the IPID.

The IPID found that “based on the evidence collected, the state has a strong case against the suspect (Brigadier Mkhwanazi) as he acted unlawfully with full intent of corruption, as CAT VIP Security unduly benefited, as licence fees of their vehicle were paid for by the City of Ekurhuleni. The suspect misrepresented himself, and the EMPD presented a non-existent memorandum of understanding, which served as the basis for all fraudulent activities that occurred.” 

The police watchdog then recommended that disciplinary action be taken against Mkhwanazi.

Mapiyeye said the IPID recommended that “disciplinary steps be taken against Director Julius Doctor Mkhwanazi for the contravention of the EMPD disciplinary procedure collective agreement. Standards of conduct 1.2.5, requires that officers conduct themselves with honesty and integrity. However, the docket is referred to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for a decision.”

Mapiyeye also told the commission that in the concluding paragraph of ‘this’ report, IPID recorded that it awaited the EMPD’s report related to when disciplinary action was instituted and the outcome thereof, to enable IPID to comply with the provisions of Section 30 of the IPID Act. 

“Unfortunately, such a report was never filed by the EMPD due to the interference by then City Manager Dr Imogen Mashazi, the Human Resources head Linda Gxasheka, and the head of Legal and Risk Management Services Advocate Kemi Behari,” Mapiyeye said.

He added that for the longest time, ‘we’ were told that it was with the office of the DPP. 

On numerous occasions, he said he never received any feedback from the DPP. As a result, he does not know whether the DPP intends to prosecute.

gcwalisile.khanyile@inl.co.za

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