The R600,000 ‘Thank You’: How Halting a Top Cop’s Hearing Allegedly Paid Off

In the stark, formal setting of the Madlanga Commission, a story is unfolding that reads more like a political thriller than a municipal audit. It’s a tale of a suspended police chief, a halted disciplinary process, and a financial reward so brazen it has become the centerpiece of a probe into Ekurhuleni’s governance.

The whistleblower is Xolani Nciza, the city’s former HR chief. His testimony painted a picture of a system where loyalty was not just valued, but lavishly compensated. The alleged price for shutting down a disciplinary process? A cool R600,000.

The Timeline of a Troubling Transaction

According to Nciza, the chain of events was suspiciously straightforward. Brigadier Julius Mkhwanazi, the deputy chief of the Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department (EMPD), was suspended. He faced serious internal charges, but his disciplinary hearings were abruptly halted. The reason given was that his arrest by external authorities was “imminent.”

Just two weeks later, a report surfaced recommending a massive salary increase for two officials: HR head Linda Gxasheka and legal head Advocate Kemi Bahari. The combined value of their raises was R600,000.

Nciza told the commission the report offered no justification. No new duties, no exemplary performance reviews. Crucially, both officials were still on probation. For Nciza, the conclusion was inescapable: this was a “reward” from then-City Manager Imogen Mashazi for ensuring that “Mkhwanazi was not held to account.”

The Seriousness of the Charges Left Behind

The alleged cover-up becomes even more disturbing when considering what was being swept under the rug. Mkhwanazi isn’t accused of minor infractions. The charges are grave:

• Forgery and Unauthorized Deals: He is accused of forging signatures to create a Memorandum of Agreement with a security company owned by alleged drug cartel member Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala. This deal allegedly allowed Matlala’s company vehicles to be fitted with blue lights and bypass police roadblocks.

• Cover-Up of a Murder: In a separate and even more serious allegation, Mkhwanazi is accused of advising EMPD officers on how to clean up a scene after they had tortured a civilian to death during an interrogation in 2022.

These were the very disciplinary hearings that were mysteriously stopped, paving the way for the alleged R600,000 reward.

A New Administration Reacts

The testimony has sent shockwaves through the current city administration. In a swift response, the city has placed Mkhwanazi on suspension again, citing the recommendations of an internal audit.

City Manager Kagiso Lerutla’s statement was forceful: “The testimony emerging from the Madlanga commission is shocking and deeply concerning. It points to systemic issues that this administration will not tolerate.”

For the residents of Ekurhuleni, Nciza’s testimony reduces complex governance to a simple, grim equation. It suggests that in the recent past, the cost of making a serious misconduct case disappeareven one linked to a murder cover-upwas precisely R600,000. The commission continues its work, but the question for the public is already clear: what is the ultimate cost of such transactions to the trust and safety of their city?

{Source: Timeslive}

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