By Johnathan Paoli
The Madlanga Commission’s scrutiny of former city manager Imogen Mashazi intensified on Tuesday afternoon as panel members repeatedly challenged the accuracy, credibility and consistency of her testimony regarding the appointment, conduct and oversight of Mashazi over controversial Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department (EMPD) deputy commissioner Julius Mkhwanazi.
Throughout a tense day of evidence, commissioner Sesi Baloyi and evidence leader and senior counsel Sello openly criticised Mashazi’s claims, questioning her grasp of key facts, and expressing frustration at her frequent assertions that she could not recall critical events.
The confrontation began when Baloyi asked Mashazi to explain her earlier testimony that all panel members had rated Mkhwanazi as the highest-scoring candidate for a senior EMPD position.
Mashazi insisted this information came “from the scoring sheet”.
Baloyi, however, countered that the scoring sheet did not reflect this.
When pressed, Mashazi conceded the statement had been an “oversight”.
The panel was not satisfied.
Baloyi further challenged Mashazi’s claim that Mkhwanazi had been recommended for appointment, demanding evidence.
Struggling to provide any, Mashazi blamed the limited time she and her lawyers had allegedly been given to prepare. Baloyi firmly rejected the explanation.
“You made a positive statement that he was recommended. You could only say that because you saw a recommendation or you made a statement with no basis whatsoever in fact. This is not a function of not having time,” Baloyi said.
Mashazi did not dispute Baloyi’s reasoning.
The commissioners interrogated her decision to appoint Mkhwanazi as acting EMPD police chief in May 2024 following Isaac Mapiyeye’s suspension.
While Mashazi argued that he qualified for the post, Sello pointed out that the IPID report recommending criminal and disciplinary action against him for the blue lights scandal remained “alive” and had never been set aside.
Mashazi maintained she had relied on advice from Ekurhuleni legal head Kemi Behari, who she said deemed the report “insufficient.”
Sello dismissed this, noting that legal officials had authored a letter to IPID attempting to undermine its findings — a letter so poorly argued that Baloyi questioned the legal training of those responsible. Mashazi claimed she had not known about the letter. The panel responded with visible scepticism.
Under sustained questioning, Mashazi conceded that her appointment of Mkhwanazi as acting chief was irregular, given that his underlying appointment as deputy commissioner was itself irregular.
Her credibility took a further knock when Sello presented a 5 June 2024 letter from Mapiyeye alerting her to Mkhwanazi’s allegedly unlawful promotion of 55 officers — most of them unqualified, unadvertised or drawn from Mkhwanazi’s own unit. Mashazi had earlier suggested that no written complaint had been made. Faced with the letter, she said she had not had access to it when preparing.
When asked what action she took after learning of the unlawful appointments, Mashazi first answered “nothing” before swiftly retracting the statement. Baloyi was sharply critical.
“I have a problem when you say you don’t recall and you’re prepared to leave it at that. It raises issues about whether you are taking this process seriously,” Baloyi said.
Her conduct also drew rebuke: she was chastised for looking at her phone, turning away from questioners and even applying lipstick mid-testimony.
Tensions escalated when the inquiry turned to allegations of sexual harassment and rape levelled against Mapiyeye.
Sello noted that the rape charge referenced repeatedly by Mashazi in her evidence had in fact been withdrawn, a fact she had failed to disclose.
When confronted, Mashazi argued the alleged victim should be called to testify.
Sello said this was “highly irresponsible”, accusing Mashazi of using a junior EMPD member’s trauma for her own purposes and misunderstanding the commission’s procedures.
“You understood it to mean you will throw mud at everyone and, if it doesn’t stick, drag some witness out of a hole,” Sello said.
Commissioners also challenged her claim that amendments limiting the powers of legal head Xolani Nciza were designed to cut legal costs. Madlanga and Baloyi pointed out that this objective appeared nowhere in the amendment she drafted. She labelled this omission “unfortunate.”
After hours of criticism, Mashazi ended by apologising for coming across as restless or not compliant.
The commissioners accepted the apology but gave her until Wednesday to file a supplementary affidavit to address the many gaps and contradictions in her testimony.
The commission adjourned ahead of suspended Police Minister Senzo Mchunu’s appearance.
INSIDE POLITICS