By Johnathan Paoli
Suspended Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department (EMPD) deputy chief Julius Mkhwanazi used his appearance before Parliament’s ad-committee to explain, at length, the origins and evolution of his relationships with controversial business men Mike van Wyk and Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala, that have drawn intense scrutiny amid questions of influence, access and potential conflicts of interest.
Leading the evidence, advocate Bongiwe Mkhize focused early on how these relationships developed while he was rising thought the EMPD ranks and later occupying powerful acting positions within the City of Ekurhuleni’s policing and community safety structures.
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Mkhwanazi told the committee that van Wyk, the owner of the Medicare24 private clinic in Boksburg, first entered his professional orbit in 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic.
At the time, Mkhwanazi said, the EMPD was struggling to secure timely medical assistance for officers injured in the line of duty and to conduct blood draws in drunk-driving cases, as public hospitals were often reluctant to assist because staff could be subpoenaed to testify in court.
Van Wyk, he explained, approached him with a proposal to assist officers quickly and to provide facilities for blood alcohol testing.
Mkhwanazi said he met van Wyk at his Boksburg offices, listened to the proposal and believed it addressed a real operational crisis.
However, he insisted that health serviced did not fall under his portfolio at the time and that he advised van Wyk to formally present the proposal to the city.
“There was no relationship at that stage, there was no contractual arrangement between the EMPD and van Wyk,” he said.
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Despite the lack of a formal agreement, Mkhize pressed Mkhwanazi on why van Wyk appeared to have provided substantial support to the EMPD.
Mkhwanazi confirmed that in 2021 and 2022, van Wyk assisted roughly 500 EMPD cadets by allowing them to prepare for exams at the clinic, providing photocopying services and paper at no cost.
According to Mkhwanazi, van Wyk estimated this support cost him about R300,000.
Asked whether this made van Wyk a “guardian angel” within the EMPD, Mkhwanazi rejected the characterization but conceded that van Wyk had “assisted” the department.
He described their relationship as “ordinary” but acknowledged “constant communication” and admitted that their relationship did grow closer over time.
It was through van Wyk and Medicare24, Mkhwanazi said that he he first became aware of Cat Matlala, whom he later learned was a co-director at the clinic and the owner of Cat VIP Security. Their relationship, he told the committee, initially grew out of operational necessity rather than personal affinity.
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Mkhwanazi testified that EMPD’s intervention unit encountered former police response unit members working for Matlala while training at a private shooting range.
He was later briefed on Matlala in early 2020 as the city prepared for the State of the City address, amid intelligence suggesting potential disruptions and political instability.
Concerned about security and impressed by reports of Matlala’s personnel, Mkhwanazi requested a meeting.
He said he was struck by the professionalism of Matlala’s operation and later invited him to planning meetings for the State of the City, where Matlala personally attended, was introduced to the executive mayor’s team and committed to assisting with security, though without specifying numbers.
Pressed repeatedly by Mkhize about his description of Matlala as “like a brother”, Mkhwanazi said their relationship deepened after the State of the City engagement, extending beyond work into “other issues, personal things”.
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They exchanged cellphone numbers, communicated regularly and discussed security, clinics and broader community safety matters.
Mkhwanazi maintained that Matlala did not discuss politics with him, only business, and said he was impressed by the skill level of Matlala’s team, particularly in areas such as house penetration and cash-in-transit response.
“If I had the powers and the money, I would steal his guys,” he remarked, praising their professionalism.
However, Mkhize challenged him on whether such closeness created a conflict of interest.
Mkhwanazi dismissed the concern, arguing that the EMPD was a public institution and that any information sought by Matlala was already publicly available.
He added that issues around clinics fell under provincial authority, not the municipality.
The committee continues after lunch.
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