R400,000, a fake accused and failed diversion — Madlanga inquiry helps uncover fresh Ekurhuleni scandal

The Madlanga Commission of Inquiry is beginning to have consequences beyond its hearings, according to national police.

It is against this backdrop that suspended Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department (EMPD) chief Julius Mkhwanazi and Ekurhuleni city manager Kagiso Michael Lerutla appeared in the Boksburg Magistrates’ Court on Monday, 20 April.

National SAPS spokesperson Athlenda Mathe said the Madlanga Commission has become a critical tool and platform in uncovering the truth about alleged corruption, infiltration and political interference.

“As a result of that platform, a lot of other things are emerging, and people are seeing it as a platform to bring forward information on wrongdoing, on allegations of corruption, especially within the metros, law enforcement and SAPS... So the [Madlanga] task team is not only looking at evidence that is being led at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry, it is also looking at other cases,” Mathe said.

She made the remarks following the court appearance of the two officials, who face charges of fraud, corruption and defeating and/or obstructing the ends of justice.

Fake court appearance

Lerutla was arrested on Sunday at OR Tambo International Airport shortly after returning from Cape Town. Mkhwanazi was arrested at his home, where he had more than 100 rounds of live ammunition.

The charges are unrelated to the explosive allegations that have emerged at the Madlanga Inquiry, where both have also been implicated.

The case stems from March 2019, when Lerutla was arrested on speeding charges and released on bail the same day. He subsequently failed to appear in court, leading to a warrant of arrest being issued. Instead of attending the hearing, Lerutla allegedly sought assistance from Mkhwanazi.

“He then roped in Brigadier Julius Mkhwanazi and discussed the matter – the arrest and him appearing in court – and according to our investigation at this stage, it’s alleged that Mkhwanazi then organised someone, let’s call him Mr X, to impersonate Mr Kagiso Lerutla,” Mathe said.

The following day, “Mr X” appeared in court on Lerutla’s behalf. A charge sheet seen by Daily Maverick shows that R400,000 was allegedly paid in cash by Lerutla and split between Mr X and Mkhwanazi.

It did not end there.

“The prosecutor then decided on a diversion programme where Mr X, meant to be Kagiso, was then meant to attend community service activities; then again we’re told Mr X presented himself before that community service activity, but he only attended one session and thereafter abandoned that community service,” Mathe said.

According to the State, part of the reason Lerutla could not attend the community service himself was that, at the time, he was attending a job interview to become the metro’s CFO.

Mkhwanazi’s ammo

“We can confirm that Brigadier Julius Mkhwanazi was found with a number of 9mm, more than 100 9mm rounds of ammunition, as well as about 15 R5 rounds of ammunition,” Mathe said.

National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Kaizer Kganyago said, “We believe we have a strong case”, stressing that the State would push for a harsh sentence that would also serve as a deterrent against those who committed similar crimes.

“The reason why people are punished, it’s not only to punish them, but to also send a message out there that the kind of things they do are punishable,” Kganyago said.

The pair’s bail application did not proceed on Monday, partly because the State requested more time to continue its investigation, including obtaining their criminal profiles and verifying their addresses.

In the case of Mkhwanazi, the State also said it was engaging the EMPD to determine why he had ammunition while on suspension, and whether he was authorised to have it.

The defence strongly criticised the delay, arguing that the State should have been properly prepared for the matter or alternatively, postponed the arrest.

The case returns to court on Thursday for a formal bail application.

Damning allegations

The Madlanga Commission has heard damning testimony from several EMPD officials implicating Mkhwanazi in serious allegations, including links to a murder case and claims that he ran a rogue unit involved in extortion, kidnapping, theft and truck hijackings.

Appearing before Parliament’s ad hoc committee, Mkhwanazi denied the allegations against him, but confirmed that he knew Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala and had received money from him. He told MPs that he owned cattle, which were now dying from disease, and said he had previously accepted funds from Matlala to buy a bull at an auction.

He told ad hoc committee chair Soviet Lekganyane that Matlala gave him between R11,000 and R13,000 for the bull, but later said it was “20 or 22” – presumably thousands of rand – that Matlala had given him.

He was suspended in November last year.

The allegations levelled against Mkhwanazi and the rogue group include, as reported by Daily Maverick’s Vincent Cyrwagen, include:

1. Mkhwananzi was allegedly an accessory to a murder. This murder happened on 15 April 2022 in the Brakpan area. It is alleged that the victim was tortured on the scene, with a rubber tyre tube pulled over his face to suffocate him. The body was found in a dam. Arriving at the scene, Mkhwanazi allegedly proceeded to direct them to clean it up. According to Ipid’s probe, “rogue” EMPD officers have been linked to the murder.
2. Ipid has also linked the EMPD’s specialised services unit, under Mkhwanazi’s command, to the theft of a truck and its load in Putfontein, Benoni, and the kidnapping of the driver, in March 2023.
3. The same alleged rogue unit was involved in the Precious Stones case, which occurred in the Hillbrow-Kensington area in 2024, where police are accused of stealing precious stones worth R45-million.
4. Makhwanzi and more than 200 of his officers refused to undergo vetting and have their fingerprints taken. Up until September 2025, the vetting process had not been completed. DM