From putting lipstick, sticking her tongue out, pulling faces, laughing, scrolling on her phone to challenging the inquiry, former Ekurhuleni city manager, Imogen Mashazi said the toughness of the Madlanga Commission would give her a stroke.

Her appearance was smeared with dismissive responses like “I take your point,” “No comment” and “I will talk to my lawyers” when asked serious questions.

Evidence leader Adv. Mahlape Sello SC, frustrated by Mashazi’s fading voice and constant phone checks, confronted her directly: “You can’t hear me because you’re on your phone.”

Mashazi insisted she was “checking for evidence”—which she never produced.

Mashazi testified before the commission on Monday but her testimony was just allegations without concrete proof.

Asked if she would return to the commission to testify, she said “I will submit my response in writing, I would not come to the commission… No, I can’t, I’ll get a stroke.”

Her testimony resulted in a stand-off between her and Co-Commissioner, Sesi Baloyi, after she flagged her testimony as baseless.

Mashazi, has accused suspended EMPD chief Jabulani Mapiyeye of having sexual relations with his female subordinates, but conceded under oath that she failed to investigate the claims.

She alleged that several female officers reported sexual harassment, coercion, and even rape at Mapiyeye, accusations she admitted were never formalised in writing, and which she took no official steps to probe.

Baloyi pressed her repeatedly: “Do you have evidence?”

Mashazi deflected, firing back with unrelated counter-questions.

Baloyi shut it down: “I am asking you questions; you don’t ask me questions.”

However, she admitted, she received the IPID report recommending charges against suspected EMPD acting chief Julius Mkhwanazi and did nothing, despite claims of fraud and private vehicles registered under the city.

Mashazi confirmed that the IPID report, which detailed alleged fraud, unlawful agreements with underworld figure Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala, and the irregular registration of municipal vehicles under a private security company, was placed directly before her in late 2023.

Mashazi is expected to continue her testimony on Tuesday.

kamogelo.moichela@iol.co.za

IOL Politics

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