By Johnathan Paoli
The Madlanga Commission has heard allegations of deep-rooted corruption, criminal collusion, and murder within the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department (EMPD) under the leadership of acting chief Julius Mkhwanazi.
Testimony by former EMPD Deputy Commissioner Revo Spies painted a grim picture of a police service turned rogue, where private companies dictated police operations, evidence was allegedly manipulated, and whistleblowers paid with their lives.
“We as municipal police are overlooked when it comes to investigations, and there are a group of municipal police officers across the country that commit crimes but are not being investigated properly. You cannot be a law enforcement officer and not be vetted to do your work,” Spies said.
He detailed how Mkhwanazi allegedly authorised unlawful agreements with Vusimusi “Cat” Matlala, a businessman, attempted murder accused, and alleged underworld kingpin.
The so-called “Cat VIP” agreement, signed under Mkhwanazi’s authority, effectively handed policing powers to Matlala’s private security firm, granting it access to EMPD surveillance systems and blue-light privileges traditionally reserved for law enforcement.
According to Spies, the agreement bizarrely required EMPD officers to report crime directly to the private company rather than to the South African Police Service (SAPS).
“We must actually report crime to SAPS and not to a private company at all. This agreement hollowed out legitimate policing in Ekurhuleni,” Spies testified.
The irregular partnership between EMPD and Matlala’s Cat VIP Security first drew scrutiny after the 2022 Ekurhuleni State of the City event, for which Mkhwanazi submitted an operational plan that appeared to have been doctored.
Pages in the document showed inconsistent fonts and printer smudges, strongly suggesting that sections had been inserted to justify Cat VIP’s appointment.
The plan would have put Matlala’s firm in charge of protecting the mayor and senior officials while the EMPD was relegated to basic access control duties.
Spies testified that multiple EMPD officers under Mkhwanazi’s command were implicated in murder, kidnapping, copper cable theft, and multimillion-rand gemstone heists.
One of the most chilling cases involved the murder of a man in Brakpan in April 2022.
According to Spies, EMPD officers allegedly tortured the victim, using a suffocation method known as “tubing” to extract information about money he kept at home.
When the man offered R500 000 in exchange for his life, the officers killed him and called Mkhwanazi, who allegedly arrived in a white Golf and told them how to clean up the scene before ordering that the body to be dumped.
No arrests have ever been made.
In another case, EMPD officers were accused of stealing R45 million worth of precious stones that were being exported.
CCTV footage captured the incident, yet no one was prosecuted, and the gems were never recovered.
Spies said internal disciplinary processes were non-existent, with implicated officers protected by former city manager Imogen Mashazi and senior officials in legal and HR departments.
The most damning evidence, however, came from the Meyerton copper theft case.
CCTV footage presented to the commission showed EMPD officers, along with Mkhwanazi himself, conducting an unlawful operation outside their jurisdiction.
The video, supplied by whistleblower Jaco Hanekom, clearly depicts officers and a civilian associate, “Etienne”, loading copper materials from a private plot.
Days later, Hanekom was murdered in a drive-by shooting, just hours after the officers involved were granted bail.
“This whole operation is irregular. It was never authorised, and there’s no record of any lawful seizure,” Spies told the commission.
Spies said that the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) initially took up the case but failed to act decisively.
He also disclosed that IPID had informed him of an ongoing investigation into Mkhwanazi for being an accessory after the fact in a separate murder case.
Threats against whistleblowers and investigators have become a recurring theme.
Spies adds to EMPD Chief Jabulani Mapiyeye’s previous testimony that City Manager Mashazi warned them that if they continued to pursue disciplinary action against Mkhwanazi, their names would be handed to hitmen.
The name “Mswazi”, believed to refer to slain Pretoria taxi boss and alleged hitman Jothan Msibi, was mentioned during these threats.
Spies has since been placed under State Security Agency protection after officials detected credible threats against his life.
The commission heard evidence suggesting that corruption within the EMPD has become systemic, with some officers reportedly earning up to R200,000 a month in bribes.
Spies called for urgent lifestyle audits for all metro police officers, saying that unchecked graft, political protection, and collusion with organised crime have eroded public trust and turned parts of the EMPD into a criminal enterprise.
The commission continues.
INSIDE POLITICS