Mashazi admits she failed to act against EMPD deputy chief Mkhwanazi in blue light saga

Former Ekurhuleni metro manager Imogen Mashazi conceded she did nothing to ensure Ekurhuleni metro police deputy chief Julius Mkhwanazi faced disciplinary action after he had unlawfully authorised the installation of blue lights on vehicles belonging to Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala.

Mashazi, who is now retired, is accused of protecting Mkhwanazi after he was found to have acted unlawfully by the Independent Police Investigative Directorate in September 2023.

She took the witness stand on Monday at the Madlanga inquiry into allegations of criminal infiltration and corruption in the justice cluster to answer allegations of interfering in the disciplinary procedure against Mkhwanazi and effectively weakening labour processes in the Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department (EMPD).

Mkhwanazi has been suspended after various allegations against him by numerous witnesses.

The commission played a February video of a media interview in which Mashazi said Mkhwanazi had been cleared by the metro’s audit report on the blue light saga. In that interview, she labelled the Ipid report “vague”.

Asked to point out what was vague about the report, Mashazi said her stance on the matter was solely based on the advice of the metro’s legal services head, Adv Kemi Behari.

The allegations ... were very gross. I acted by referring the report to corporate and legal.

—  Imogen Mashazi

“The allegations ... were very gross. I acted by referring the report to corporate and legal. The HOD legal [Behari] informed me that the document is incomplete and he has advised that they cannot take action on the document,” she said.

However, after looking at the same evidence before the commission, she realised she “could have been ill-advised” by Behari, she said.

Mashazi said Mkhwanazi acted unlawfully by authorising the installation of the blue lights, meant for law enforcement only, but she “did not pay much attention” to the case during her tenure, which ended in July. She said EMPD head Isaac Mapiyeye had legal authority to act on the Ipid report.

“The two memorandums that were signed by Brig Mkhwanazi [that Matlala’s company vehicles were to be registered under the metro and fitted with blue lights] did not come to the attention of my office. It is irregular for the department or a junior official to enter into a memorandum without the accounting officer. It was illegal; it was not within his powers.”

Three months after an Ipid report recommended disciplinary action against him, Mkhwanazi was promoted to deputy chief and in 2024 acted as head of the EMPD under Mashazi’s watch.

The commissioners put it to Mashazi that when she realised Mapiyeye had not acted against Mkhwanazi, she did nothing to ensure disciplinary processes were implemented.

Mashazi responded merely by saying, “I take your point”.

There were heated moments during her evidence.

She claimed EMPD spokesperson Kelebogile Thepa was among officers who had an “affair” with Mapiyeye. Adv Sesi Baloyi asked what evidence she had to substantiate the serious allegation, but Mashazi asked in return, what evidence the commission requested from previous witnesses who had testified about her closeness to Mkhwanazi.

The commission chair, retired judge Mbuyiseli Madlanga, told Mashazi that witnesses were indeed interrogated about their testimonies on her relationship with Mkhwanazi.

Mashazi said the EMPD had a systemic sexual harassment culture and that female police officers were coerced into sexual relations with top officers for promotion.

She alleged Mapiyeye, suspended by the city on allegations of sexual harassment, was among the officers who sexually harassed female officers.

She was asked what she had done in her 10 years as city manager to tackle the sexual harassment culture, besides promoting women.

“You did nothing,” Baloyi said.

Mashazi conceded she failed to deal with the alleged systemic issue, but this was because the victims refused to put allegations in writing.

She denied interfering in Mkwanazi’s suspension in 2024 after the blue lights scandal by having it lifted and shielding him from security vetting.

“I deny everything they said about me,” Mashazi said.