Ekurhuleni metro police deputy top cop Julius Mkhwanazi has admitted to receiving R70,000 from tenderpreneur Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala in three payments over seven months in 2022, saying the money was to pay for his siblings’ funerals.
In his testimony at the Madlanga commission of inquiry on Thursday, Mkhwanazi, who is on suspension, said he and Matlala were so close that they spoke all the time, and Matlala would send him money “to help me because I was struggling”.
“Sometimes he would give me money for petrol or other things. He would give me R500 and R1,000 here and there. We used to talk a lot, and even the frustrations that I had, I used to share with him,” he said.
“We were very close; he was like a brother to me. When I was suspended [in 2022], he used to give [me] money for food.
In fact, even on top of that, we had this arrangement with Ngamla (boss) [Matlala]...Matlala told me that when this SAPS [R360m health tender] thing gets approved, ‘I will make you happy.
— Deputy top cop Julius Mkhwanazi
Evidence leader Adv Sello Mahlape pointed Mkhwanazi to documents in front of him, which showed that he had received R70,000 from companies linked to Matlala between May and December 2022.
She said she would argue before the commissioners that the payments were gratification, as they were made around the same time Mkhwanazi signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU), permitting Matlala’s cars to be fitted with blue lights. On Wednesday, he acknowledged, as he was being pressed on the matter, that he was wrong to sign the MoU.
Mahlape presented evidence that showed that Mkhwanazi had received far more money from Matlala than he had revealed to the commission.
“Three payments linked to Mkhwanazi were made in 2022 — R20,000 from CAT VIP on May 5, another R20,000 from Medicare24 Tshwane District on June 18, and R30,000 from Black AK on December 10.”
Explaining the payments, Mkhwanazi told the commission that Matlala sent him the money to help with his siblings’ funerals.
He could not say when the bereavements were.
“In fact, even on top of that, we had this arrangement with Ngamla (boss) [Matlala]...Matlala told me that when this SAPS [R360m health tender] thing gets approved, ‘I will make you happy. I want you to resign’.
“We had that [relationship]…and I prayed for him [to get the tender], you see,” Mkhwanazi said.
Mahlape reiterated that the money was gratification for Mkhwanazi to facilitate the process for Matlala’s cars to be fitted with blue lights.
Mkhwanazi earlier denied this and said he came to the commission to tell the truth, as he feared being apprehended.
“I can’t agree to leave my kids and go to prison for something I didn’t do. I didn’t put blue lights. I want to be honest and impress you [commissioners], but not with lies,” he said.
Throughout his evidence, Mkhwanazi appeared to be unsettled, sweated and gulped water.
His 2022 suspension was lifted by former Ekurhuleni municipal manager Imogen Mashazi, who, months later, has been accused of protecting him.
Suspended Ekurhuleni police chief Jabulani Mapiyeye told the commission earlier this week that in March 2022, Mkhwanazi deployed eight protectors from CAT VIP Protection to Ekurhuleni’s state of the city address.
Mapiyeye said he initially assumed the sharply dressed men, introduced to him as members of a “task team”, were part of delegations arriving from other parts of the country.
When he later learnt that the men were actually guarding his principals, which included the then mayor, Tania Campbell, he confronted Mkhwanazi for an explanation.
The email in which Mkhwanazi appeared to account for the deployment — along with the justification for using Matlala’s personnel — was submitted as evidence before the commission and was meant to support the claim that only Mkhwanazi had entered into an unlawful agreement with Matlala on behalf of the city.
However, Mkhwanazi challenged the legitimacy of the email, insisting that its writing style did not resemble his own.
On Wednesday, Mkhwanazi told the commission that Matlala’s company was deployed as there was a threat to disrupt the state of the city event.
However, he did not vet the employees, despite saying they were referred to him by his juniors.
Sowetan
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