By Johnathan Paoli
Former Ekurhuleni City Manager Imogen Mashazi has been accused of shielding suspended deputy police chief Brigadier Julius Mkhwanazi, the Madlanga Commission heard on Wednesday.
Evidence presented by former Employee Relations Head Xolani Nciza suggested that Mashazi attempted to protect Mkhwanazi from accountability despite mounting concerns over misconduct, fraudulent agreements, and possible collusion with local businessman and tenderpreneur Vusimsi “Cat” Matlala.
Nciza testified that by late 2022, he was handling numerous complaints about Mkhwanazi’s conduct, including irregular memorandums of understanding (MOUs) he had signed with Matlala’s companies, Cat Security Services and Medicare 24 Emergency Medical Services.
The agreements, signed in 2021 and 2022 without any municipal authorisation or legal review, were framed as “working relationships” that began during the Covid-19 pandemic.
But according to Nciza, there was no record of municipal consultation, no co-signature from the city, and no legal or procedural basis for such cooperation.
Nciza added
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