Suspended EMPD head Mapiyeye accuses members of Ekurhuleni council of meddling in police matters

Suspended head of the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department (EMPD), Isaac Mapiyeye, has accused members of the Ekurhuleni council of politically meddling in policing matters.

Mapiyeye testified before the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry on Thursday.

He accused the former city manager, Imogen Mashazi, of overriding his authority and siding with one of his subordinates, Julius Mkhwanazi.

This after Mkhwanazi forged and signed off on two fraudulent memorandums of understanding (MOU) with two companies belonging to tender tycoon, Vusimuzi "Cat" Matlala.

The agreements essentially allowed Matlala to operate with impunity within the city, and in exchange, he provided support and resources for the EMPD.

A case of corruption was opened by the EMPD against Mkhwanazi in 2023, after it emerged that Matlala had blue lights installed in some of his private security vehicles.

Mkhwanazi held the position of director of special services at the time and allegedly entered into an unlawful agreement with Matlala two years prior to allow two of his companiesto provide support to EMPD in exchange for special treatment.

But despite the corruption case, investigated by IPID, finding Mkhwanazi guilty of misconduct, nothing has come of the case.

Mapiyeye said this was both worrying and frustrating, as the docket was sitting at the office of the director of public prosecutions in Gauteng.

"IPID is the one who refers these dockets to the DPP. I tried on numerous occasions to try to access that office of the DPP but I could not get any joy."

Mkhwanazi was made acting head of EMPD in November last year after allegations of sexual assault were made against Mapiyeye.

He’s been on precautionary suspension since.

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