Blue lights saga haunts suspended Ekurhuleni metro chief

SUSPENDED Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department (EMPD) Deputy Commissioner Julius Mkhwanazi contracted the City’s former divisional head of employee relations Xolani Nciza’s testimony that the vehicles ‘donated’ by tenderpreneur and alleged underworld kingpin Vusimuzi "Cat" Matlala were fitted with blue lights.

Mkhwanazi has been accused of facilitating the registration of those private vehicles under the municipality’s name and having them fitted with blue lights.

He also allegedly entered into two memoranda of understanding for the city with Medicare 24 and CAT VIP Security, companies tied to Matlala without the consent of the council and city manager.

Mkhwanazi on Wednesday told the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry that the city’s senior management team, which included suspended chief of police Isaac Mapiyeye and heads of departments, was aware of the donations Matlala intended to make to the municipality.

He testified that his relationship with Matlala began in 2022, when he was introduced to Mike van Wyk, a Medicare24 director, by EMPD community liaison unit members. 

He stated that Matlala was also a director at the company, and this introduction led to their association.

Mkhwanazi stated that Van Wyk approached him with a proposal to assist EMPD members injured on duty, particularly those without medical aid, as part of a strategic partnership. 

Van Wyk also made a presentation to the city senior management team and subsequently briefed Mkhwanazi on the meeting's outcome.

Mkhwanazi said a proposal was made to formalise the presentation, leading to a draft memorandum of understanding between Medicare24 and Ekurhuleni, outlining the terms of their partnership.

Early in 2022, Mkhwanazi met representatives from CAT VIP Security, introduced by EMPD's intervention unit, ahead of the state of the city address. 

Mkhwanazi mentioned that CAT VIP Security later wanted to upgrade their vehicles, and he discussed the EMPD's vehicle shortage with Matlala, implying a possible donation of vehicles.

He approached his deputy chief of police Goodman Mzolo at the time, who referred him to a fleet corporate proxy managed by Chris Steyn. 

Steyn told him to have a letter of intention to donate cars from Matlala, who furnished him with one. 

He said a former EMPD divisional commissioner Revo Spies was not happy with the donations while chief Mapiyeye said “we need cars”.

Mkhwanazi stated that the vehicle registration process had just begun, and he was finalising the necessary steps so the vehicles could go through council and internal processes.

“By that time I didn't know anything about those processes,” he said.

He mentioned a social media controversy surrounding vehicle donations with blue lights under the municipality's name. 

He claimed Steyn withdrew from registering the vehicles due to disputes over vehicle registration.

Steyn allegedly told Mkhwanazi to “Call that guy (Matlala) and (tell him) we are not doing it. There are disks here but we need to deregister them”.

"I didn't install blue lights. I didn't brand the cars. The cars - I didn't see them physically. They didn't come to the city of Ekurhuleni,” Mkhwanazi said.

He also testified that he was called by the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) a day after he resumed work, following a three-month suspension due to the blue-light saga.

Nciza, had told the commission that the vehicles were registered under the municipality and fitted with blue lights, but lacked proper council approval to legitimise their existence.

Cape Times