By Johnathan Paoli
Former Ekurhuleni city manager Imogen Mashazi has distanced herself from accusations that she had interfered and attempted to whitewash investigations into allegations of misconduct of suspended metro police (EMPD) deputy chief Brigadier Julius Mkhwanazi, including the controversial “blue lights” scandal involving Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala’s companies.
Mashazi appearing before commission on Monday afternoon, repeatedly stressed that the powers of the EMPD police chief were circumscribed by municipal legislation and accountable to the city manager, denying any attempts to usurp Chief Isaac Mapiyeye’s authority, emphasising that her understanding of the EMPD’s powers fell within a “grey area” of municipal governance.
A central part of the hearing dealt with two memoranda of agreement allegedly signed by Mkhwanazi with Matlala.
Mashazi claimed she was unaware of these agreements, describing them as “irregular” and insisting that Mkhwanazi acted beyond his authority.
Evidence presented by Mapiyeye showed that one of these agreements involved vehicles and even a helicopter purportedly “donated” to the EMPD, assets that reports later revealed were misappropriated for Matlala’s personal use.
Mashazi acknowledged seeing unsigned versions of these memoranda, potentially during IPID’s investigation into the blue lights scandal, but said she had not obtained legal advice regarding the chief’s powers. She defended her referral of the IPID report to the City of Ekurhuleni’s head of legal services, Advocate Kemi Behari, citing concerns that the report was “incomplete” and needed departmental handling.
Critics noted that this effectively stalled disciplinary proceedings against Mkhwanazi, despite clear recommendations from IPID that he face inquiry.
Television footage from the period shows Mashazi publicly dismissing the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) findings, calling them “vague” and claiming an independent forensic review cleared Mkhwanazi of wrongdoing.
At the commission, however, she appeared to retreat from that position, acknowledging that upon reviewing the full evidence bundle, she recognised there was “some truth” to the allegations.
Mashazi admitted that the disciplinary process recommended by IPID should have proceeded and described the blue lights misuse as irregular and unlawful.
Mashazi also sought to distance herself from the city’s internal attempts to undermine the IPID findings.
A 6 December 2023 letter to IPID, which she said she had never seen, sought to justify the registration of Matlala’s vehicles as municipal police cars and implied the donations were legitimate.
Mashazi condemned the letter’s tone as inappropriate and said the officials responsible should face disciplinary action.
Her testimony sought to clarify her role in Mkhwanazi’s suspension, which was eventually lifted.
Mashazi maintained that she had not instructed either Mapiyeye or former HR director Xolani Nciza to halt disciplinary action, despite evidence they were allegedly told by her to allow Mkhwanazi’s return.
She insisted she was “far from this process” and suggested that any claims to the contrary could be verified through her call logs.
The commission also examined Mashazi’s denial of interference in the fingerprint vetting of EMPD officers.
Retired EMPD official Revo Spies testified that Mkhwanazi had resisted the process, threatening non-compliance and seeking to halt it.
Mashazi rejected claims that she had directed any such obstruction, reiterating that all EMPD members were subject to vetting and that Mkhwanazi’s behaviour was “unlawful and irregular”.
While she acknowledged some oversight failures, she repeatedly sought to distance herself from the apparent whitewashing of investigations and the irregular handling of Matlala’s companies and assets.
The commission continues.
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