‘Running the City Amok’: Ekurhuleni Suspends Behari, Qxasheka, Closes in on Mkhwanazi

Ekurhuleni Mayor Nkosindiphile Xhakaza has moved decisively against three senior officials implicated in the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry, confirming the full suspension of the city’s legal services head and human resources chief, with formal charges now imminent for the embattled trio.

Advocate Kemi Behari, head of legal services, and Linda Qxasheka, head of human resources, have both received their charge sheets and will face the city’s disciplinary committee. Julius Mkhwanazi, chief of the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department (EMPD), will be served with an additional charge sheet and appear before the same body.

The suspensions, announced on Monday, form part of what Xhakaza termed an “aggressive institutional renewal programme” aimed at tightening governance and restoring administrative integrity.

“These are lawful, structured processes,” the mayor said, stressing that proceedings will unfold strictly within municipal policy, labour legislation, and the city’s disciplinary framework.

The Madlanga Allegations

While the specific charges have not been publicly detailed, all three officials have been implicated in testimony before the Madlanga Commission, which is investigating allegations of corruption, maladministration, and criminal conduct within the metro.

Mkhwanazi faces severe allegations related to the “blue-light scandal” and the operation of a so-called “rogue unit” within the EMPD. He is also accused of being in cahoots with Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala, an alleged cartel leader with ties to organised crime in the region.

Behari and Qxasheka are primarily accused of shielding Mkhwanazi from accountability. According to evidence presented at the commission, both received salary hikes of approximately R600,000 eachallegedly as rewards for protecting the embattled EMPD chief from disciplinary action.

A Fourth Failed Legal Challenge

In a parallel development, the mayor welcomed a decisive court ruling against suspended Chief Information Officer Moloko Monyepao. Monyepao’s attempt to interdict the city’s internal disciplinary process was dismissed with costshis fourth failed legal challenge, each ending in adverse findings.

“The city remains firm in its commitment to consequence management,” Xhakaza said. “Internal disciplinary processes will proceed without obstruction or undue delay.”

The court’s decision, he added, affirms the municipality’s right to act within the law as it rebuilds public trust.

What Comes Next

Behari and Qxasheka now face formal disciplinary proceedings. Mkhwanazi will receive his additional charge sheet and appear before the same committee. The outcomes will determine whether the trio face dismissal, demotion, or other sanctions.

For Xhakaza, the moves signal a clear break from the era of impunity documented by the Madlanga Commission. Whether the disciplinary processes conclude swiftlyor become mired in the legal delays that have protected officials in other municipalitieswill test the mayor’s promise of “consequence management.”

For now, the message is unambiguous: running the city “amok,” as the commission heard, will no longer be tolerated. The suspensions are a start. The charges are next. And for the residents of Ekurhuleni, the hope is that accountability finally follows.

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