By Lehlohonolo Lehana.
Former Ekurhuleni City Manager, Dr Imogen Mashazi concluded her testimony at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry at the Bridgette Mabandla Justice College in Tshwane.
Mashazi’s name has been repeatedly linked to acting head of Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department (EMPD) Julius Mkhwanazi. Evidence presented so far painted a portrait of Mkhwanazi’s character and involvement in criminality.
She admitted under oath that she failed to thoroughly review a critical report alleging serious fraud before she cleared Mkhwanazi.
Mkhwanazi was cleared by Mashazi despite a report detailing serious allegations, including potential fraud.
Mashazi conceded that she did not give the matter the serious attention required of her office.
When asked why she had not engaged with the specific, serious allegations she had supposedly read, Mashazi initially responded, “I did not pay too much attention on it”.
She quickly followed up by stating, “I consider it serious” but her lack of engagement remained the central focus of the questioning.
The allegations outlined in the report were highly specific and factual, centered on the misuse of municipal assets and registration fraud.
Specifically, the report detailed that motor vehicles belonging to a private entity, CAT VIP Protection Services, linked to murder-accused Vusi ‘Cat’ Matlala, were registered in the name of the municipality.
“The private entity being CAT VIP Protection Services—a private entity’s vehicles were registered in the name of the municipality, of which you are the top-top administrator.”
“And you do not pay too much attention to something like this?” pressed retired justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga.
Pressed further on her handling of the document, Mashazi said “To be honest, I did not peruse the document thoroughly”.
Meanwhile suspended minister of police Senzo Mchunu, on Tuesday, 2 December, told commission that as far back as 2019, a work study report had recommended integrating the National Political Killings Task Team (NPKTT) into the Murder and Robbery Unit of the South African Police Service (SAPS).
Mchunu, who was appointed as police minister in July 2024, was placed on special leave by President Cyril Ramaphosa in July 2025.
Represented at the commission by advocate Tembeka Ngcukaitobi SC, he repeated many of the same reasons for disbanding the NPKTT that he gave when testifying before Parliament’s ad hoc committee looking into the same issues.
On 31 December 2024, Mchunu issued a directive shutting down the KwaZulu-Natal-based NPKTT — a move that stunned security experts and outraged political observers.
In July, KZN provincial commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi unleashed a barrage of startling allegations against Mchunu and senior police officers.
Mchunu stressed that the NPKTT was established in 2018 as a special, interim project.
“Its creation was political and time-bound and did not form part of SAPS’ permanent organisational structure. The national commissioner can establish a task team at any time and use powers bestowed upon him by the SAPS Act.
The NPKTT was a project. It was always understood to be interim, temporary in nature; it was never at any stage understood to be a permanent kind of set-up,” he said.
Assessments were carried out every six months, and the life span of the NPKTT was extended. However, during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, there was no assessment, but in 2021, an extension was approved.
“Beyond 2022, there was no further extension that was sought. As a result, the NPKTT continued to operate without required assessment and renewal for more than two years. During this period beyond 2022, the NPKTT was irregular under the Public Finance Management Act,” said Mchunu.
He has, however, been criticised for disbanding the NPKTT without consulting the interministerial committee that established it.
The commission heard that the national police commissioner, Fannie Masemola, signed a new SAPS structural organogram in 2024, which would have dissolved the NPKTT and absorbed it into the Murder and Robbery Unit.
Mchunu will return to the commission on Thursday and Friday for cross-examination.