Suspended EMPD chief Julius Mkhwanazi faces forgery and hitman claims

Retired Ekurhuleni metro police deputy chief Revo Spies has told the Madlanga Commission that Brigadier Julius Mkhwanazi appointed himself as acting chief of police without an official appointment letter.

Spies said officials were scared of challenging the illegal process. Mkhwanazi, who serves as the acting chief of the Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department (EMPD), has currently just been suspended.

Spies told the commission that during his time at the city, vetting, accountability and internal control in the EMPD had collapsed under Mkhwanazi’s leadership. He said the vetting process was poorly implemented, with officers and units refusing to undergo background checks.

According to Spies, more than 200 EMPD officers refused to be vetted after Mkhwanazi and members of the specialised services unit claimed the process was illegal.

“The specialised services unit under Mkhwanazi refused to be vetted,” he said, adding that human resources later “stopped the process.”

He said Mkhwanazi himself “refused to be vetted,” claiming he was “exempt” from the process and that “it was not part of his contract.”

Spies told the commission that during a meeting, Mkhwanazi allegedly screamed at him, accusing him of saying he has a criminal record.

He presented a graph to the commission showing that “275 EMPD officers were convicted of crimes while 100 awaiting trial.

Spies explained that the minimum requirement for employment in the EMPD was that you may not have a criminal record upon appointment, but that this policy is interpreted differently by Ekurhuleni HR.

He also spoke about irregular appointments, saying there was a junior traffic official with no police experience who was promoted to a Brigadier position despite not meeting the minimum requirements.

According to Spies, the candidate was appointed to his vacant post even though former police chief Isaac Mapiyeye had indicated that the person did not have the Metro Police Diploma required for the position.

Mapiyeye had wanted the post re-advertised, but “Mkhwanazi appointed the candidate two weeks later. Spies said he had seen an email showing the candidate was given the questions and answers for the interview.

Spies also told the commission that a 2023 risk assessment done on his safety revealed that Mkhwanazi was organising hitmen to rake him out.

Spies said this happened when Ekurhuleni officials were receiving more information about criminal activities linked to Mkhwanazi and he was putting pressure for Mkhwanazi to be held accountable.

He said a state security risk assessment was done and recommendations were made to protect him and his family.