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Nciza Says City Manager Protected Suspended EMPD Chief at Madlanga Commission
When power protects power
The Madlanga Commission of Inquiry has become a kind of public courtroom for the City of Ekurhuleni’s internal fractures. This week, those cracks widened when former human resources boss Xolani Nciza returned to the stand. His testimony painted a troubling picture of how influence can quietly reshape municipal processes, especially when senior officials close ranks.
Nciza told the commission that former city manager Dr Imogen Mashazi used her authority not to uphold discipline but to shield suspended EMPD acting chief Brigadier Julius Mkhwanazi. The suspension stemmed from a blue lights scandal that has already bruised the city’s police department. According to Nciza, when he tried to extend the suspension as part of the normal disciplinary route, Mashazi shut it down. Her instruction was clear and simple. He said she told him to leave Mkhwanazi alone.
A promotion instead of consequences
What makes the allegations more alarming is what happened afterwards. Rather than being disciplined, Nciza claimed that Mkhwanazi was rewarded with a promotion by officials who were loyal to Mashazi. To him, this was not an administrative coincidence but a demonstration of how structures intended to uphold accountability can be twisted when political or personal alliances dominate decision-making.
This sentiment echoed further when Nciza described how two city officials, Linda Gasheka and Advocate Kemi Behari, later received salary increases of about six hundred thousand rand each. He told the commission that these increases were essentially rewards for following Mashazi’s instructions and ensuring that her preferred outcome was protected. He recalled her words as a kind of congratulatory gesture, suggesting that they had ensured that her person was not touched.
A culture of fear and favour
As Nciza spoke, the broader picture that emerged was one of internal governance gradually eroding under a pattern of compliance and punishment. Those who aligned with the city manager’s directives were allegedly rewarded. Those who challenged them were sidelined. He said this behaviour hollowed out accountability structures and weakened the city’s administration at senior levels.
In a municipality that has already weathered reports of mismanagement and political turbulence, his testimony has ignited fresh public debate. Residents on social media voiced frustration that the inquiry keeps revealing the same cycle of loyalty politics, promotions without merit, and consequences that fall on the wrong people.
The inquiry continues
The Madlanga Commission remains in session as it works through a growing catalogue of allegations involving misconduct, corruption, and abuse of authority within Ekurhuleni’s upper ranks. Each testimony adds another layer to the story of how a city’s internal machinery can be steered not by policy or procedure but by personal influence.
The coming weeks may offer clarity on who will be held accountable and whether these claims will lead to reforms in how senior officials are appointed, disciplined, and supervised. For many in Ekurhuleni, the hope is that the inquiry becomes more than a record of what went wrong. They want it to mark the start of something that finally sets the city on firmer ethical ground.
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Source: IOL
Featured Image: SABC News
