Sweat, Stumbles and a Sudden Loss for Words: Inside Julius Mkhwanazi’s Chaotic Day at the Madlanga Inquiry

For a hearing many thought would finally offer clarity, Wednesday’s session at the Madlanga Commission delivered something entirely different, confusion, tension and a visibly shaken Julius Mkhwanazi, the suspended acting chief of the EMPD.

You could see it before he even spoke.
The nervous water sips.
The handkerchief repeatedly meeting a glistening forehead.
The long pauses that hung over the room like unanswered questions.

If South Africans ever needed a scene to summarise blue-light politics and VIP privilege culture, this was it a senior officer sweating through his answers, insisting he knew little about a scandal many believe he helped enable.

Mkhwanazi finished 3 bottles of 500ml water within the first 30 minutes of testimony.

After an hour his brain was overheating and malfunctioning.#MadlangaCommision pic.twitter.com/Iguzr8IVYt

Azania (@azania1023) December 3, 2025

A Day the Inquiry Will Not Forget

Mkhwanazi arrived to testify about his involvement or lack thereof, depending on who one believes in the now-infamous blue-light saga linked to Vusimuzi “CAT” Matlala. The commission is investigating how private security vehicles allegedly masqueraded as official municipal units, fitted with blue lights, sirens and all the trappings of state authority.

But instead of delivering a confident defence, Mkhwanazi appeared rattled from the start.

His answers stalled.
His explanations looped back onto themselves.
Commissioners exchanged glances more than once as they tried to keep up.

It didn’t take long for whispers to ripple through the public gallery and social media commentary to follow:

“The cat didn’t just get his tongue he took the whole script.”
“How does one deny involvement while confirming involvement?”

Some viewers even dubbed the moment “the sweating testimony”, a reference to Mkhwanazi’s constant wiping of his face as questions tightened around him.

Denial, But With Holes

Despite the shaky delivery, Mkhwanazi stood firm on one core point: he never authorised blue lights or municipal registration for Matlala’s vehicles. He swore he never approved them as city assets and insisted he had never even seen the cars.

But his testimony didn’t end there.

Under questioning, he admitted:

• He worked closely with Matlala.

• He personally introduced him to high-ranking officials.

• CAT VIP Security, Matlala’s company was included in the official security plan for the 2022 State of the City Address.

• He believed their involvement was a “marketing strategy” since the company offered services “for free.”

Free?
At a major state event?
With blue lights in the mix?

Even commissioners seemed unsure whether to be shocked or amused.

If free VIP protection sounds unbelievable to the everyday South African dealing with queues, load shedding and e-tolls, that’s because it is. In government spaces, nothing is ever free without expectation.

A Twist No One Saw Coming

At one point, tension peaked when Mkhwanazi accused retired deputy chief Revo Spies of submitting a forged operational plan to the commission. He insisted his authentic version would clear his name.

But when pressed to explain the alleged forgery, the story wavered. The chain of events was unclear, contradictory even confusing. It left the commission looking unconvinced and the room even more tense.

Every attempt to clarify only twisted the narrative further.
Every denial seemed to open more questions.

On a day meant to defend his integrity, Mkhwanazi instead painted an image of uncertainty, disarray and selective memory.

A Case Bigger Than One Man

The inquiry is digging into something South Africans have complained about for years, VIP culture run amok, where private guards act like police, sirens scream down highways, and ordinary motorists are bullied out of the way.

If proven, this case would show exactly how such power structures form in the shadows, quietly, off-paper, through relationships rather than regulations.

Mkhwanazi might just be one piece of a far bigger puzzle.

For now, he is set to return Thursday for round two, hopefully with more answers, less sweating and a steadier narrative.

Whether he will find his words or whether “the cat” will claim them again, remains to be seen.

{Source: IOL}

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