By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) has promised that prosecuting authorities will make a decision on the fraud and corruption charges against acting EMPD chief Brigadier Julius Mkhwanazi.
Acting IPID National Head of Investigations, Thuso Keefelakae, told the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry on Wednesday that Mkhwanazi could face prosecution on a range of charges, including murder, truck hijacking and the alleged use of state resources to commit crimes.
Keefelakae said IPID’s recommendations were submitted to both EMPD and South African Police Service (SAPS) earlier this month, with the docket was also referred to the Director of Public Prosecutions.
He added that prosecutorial decisions could be reached soon.
Keefelakae described evidence against Mkhwanazi in that case as “overwhelming”, before confirming earlier testimony from multiple witnesses that the City of Ekurhuleni had ignored a December 2023 IPID preliminary report that instructed that the brigadier should also face disciplinary action over his admitted role in the scandal.
Keefelakae told the commission that detectives probing the Ekurhuleni police, experienced “explicit and credible threats” against their personal safety.
The commission also heard that investigators probing alleged misconduct within the EMPD were subjected to what Keefelakae described as “explicit and credible threats” to their personal safety. As a result, IPID provided protection at investigators’ homes for a period of 14 months.
Keefelakae warned that operating under such conditions undermines investigative independence and risks compromising the quality of investigations.
IPID investigators were tasked with probing allegations against Mkhwanazi — along with other EMPD officials — including claims of serious misconduct and his alleged involvement in the death of a Brakpan shop owner.
Keefelakae also revealed that IPID is in the process of recruiting ten experienced contract investigators to help address a growing backlog. The investigators will be drawn from SAPS and the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation and deployed to Gauteng, KwaZulu-Natal, the Western Cape and the Eastern Cape — provinces that account for more than 70% of IPID’s caseload.
“They are very good in the work of investigations and we are in the process currently. We have just completed the other processes of recruitment. It on-going at 15 more investigator but the intention is to take these people to four big provinces which are Gauteng, Kwa Zulu Natal, Western Cape, and Eastern Cape because these provinces account for over 70% of our total workload in the country,” Keefellakae explained.
He told the commission that IPID is currently sitting with nearly 12,000 cases requiring investigation, some dating back to 2018, describing the backlog as a serious challenge exacerbated by limited resources.
Meanwhile, Witness F on Wednesday withdrew his urgent court application seeking to have his testimony before the Madlanga Commission set aside.
The witness, who has testified twice — remotely and off-camera — has been implicated through WhatsApp exchanges with alleged underworld figure Vusimuzi Matlala and video footage allegedly showing him at the home of suspected hit mastermind Katiso Molefe.