By Johnathan Paoli
Vetting of officers in the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department (EMPD) started on Monday, implementing a pledge President Cyril Ramaphosa announced in his recent State of the Nation Address (SONA) as the force faces mounting scrutiny following allegations aired at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry.
The annual vetting process, which will see about 3,500 EMPD officials screened over the next two to three months, started at the Alberton Internal Audit Department under the oversight of Ekurhuleni City Manager Kagiso Lerutla.
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The initiative follows months of intense scrutiny of the metro police force after testimony before the Madlanga Commission detailed alleged corruption, a murder cover-up, unlawful appointments and political interference within the department.
Addressing the media on Monday, Lerutla conceded that public confidence in the EMPD had been severely eroded.
“There is a trust deficit following the commission’s revelations. That is why there are two independent processes aimed at restoring trust in the EMPD through vetting. One involves the State Security Agency and the second involves an independent forensics company,” he said.
Lerutla said transparency would be central to the process.
“Above that, there is accountability. We have invited the media. We are not doing this process in hiding,” he said.
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Lerutla confirmed the vetting exercise must be completed within two months and that, once concluded, a report would be presented to the Executive Mayor, Nkosindiphile Xhakaza.
The vetting involves biometric fingerprint scanning to establish whether EMPD officers have criminal records, in line with national legislation governing municipal police services.
The City of Ekurhuleni said the process is being rolled out in phases to ensure operational continuity. Participation is mandatory, and non-compliance will result in disciplinary action.
The current exercise is the first comprehensive vetting of EMPD officers since 2022. It is being managed by Group Internal Audit, with fingerprint capture conducted via biometric scanning by an appointed service provider.
The process is expected to take between five and eight minutes per officer, with capacity to vet around 80 members a day.
The urgency of the exercise has been exacerbated by revelations at the Madlanga Commission, where evidence was led implicating suspended EMPD deputy chief Julius Mkhwanazi in criminal activity.
Witnesses told the commission that Mkhwanazi allegedly promoted or appointed more than 50 senior officers unlawfully between May and July 2024. He has also been implicated in the extrajudicial killing of an alleged criminal.
Xhakaza confirmed that a review of the promotions had been instituted.
Mkhwanazi was suspended last year over allegations that he signed unlawful memoranda of understanding with companies linked to controversial tenderpreneur Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala in 2021.
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Municipal forensics head Phillip Rakgwale said leadership instability within the EMPD had delayed vetting for several years.
“It’s public knowledge that we had challenges around the leadership in EMPD and instability, so it delayed the vetting. But in terms of the law, EMPD officials need to be vetted yearly. From now on, it will be done on a yearly basis,” he said.
Rakgwale said at the media briefing that the absence of a stable chain of command had complicated coordination.
“Normally the chief of police coordinates to make sure officers cooperate with the process. In the absence of that chain of command, it makes it difficult for us to carry out the process,” he said.
The vetting rollout comes days after Ramaphosa announced during SONA that the State Security Agency would vet all senior police officials nationwide, a move aimed at restoring integrity across law-enforcement agencies.
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