EMPD’s Mkhwanazi, officers refused fingerprint vetting, Madlanga Commission told
The Madlanga Commission on Tuesday heard explosive evidence that senior Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department (EMPD) officials, led by Brigadier Julius Mkhwanazi, had refused to undergo mandatory fingerprint vetting despite a citywide directive issued by then-Chief of Police Jabulani Mapiyeye.
Retired EMPD Deputy Chief of Police Revo Spies told the commission that the refusal defied a 2021 national resolution adopted by metro police chiefs across South Africa, which sought to tighten professional standards and eliminate corruption within municipal policing structures.
Spies said the directive required all EMPD members, from recruits to senior officers, to submit their fingerprints for criminal record verification through the South African Police Service (SAPS).
"Chief Mapiyeye issued a directive that everyone’s fingerprints must be taken and submitted for analysis by SAPS,” said Spies.
“The process was intended to begin on 1 January 2022 and be completed by the end of February that year.”
A national compliance initiative
Spies explained that the decision was part of a broader national compliance drive coordinated through the Municipal Police Forum, where he served as chairperson of the standards subcommittee.
The forum had resolved that all municipal police officers in the country would undergo annual fingerprint vetting, aligning with SAPS procedures and preventing individuals with criminal records from holding enforcement powers.
According to Spies, the EMPD was among the first metropolitan areas expected to pilot the process, with the city’s Human Resources department assisting with logistics.
"We wanted to standardise the vetting of all municipal police officers,” he said. “It was a national move to ensure integrity across the policing landscape.”
However, the commission heard that Mkhwanazi and members of his Specialised Services Division, comprising nearly 200 officers, flatly refused to cooperate.
"They said it was an illegal process,” Spies testified.
“When my officers went to collect the fingerprints, the supervisors under Mkhwanazi told them they would not comply.”
According to Spies, the refusal had no lawful basis. The vetting instruction had been formally signed off by Mapiyeye and communicated in writing to all divisional heads.
Under Regulation 11 of the Municipal Police Services Act, it is an offence for an officer to refuse fingerprinting when required by the chief of police or an authorised official.
"The instruction was clear,” Spies said. “Any refusal amounted to misconduct, but despite that, no disciplinary action was taken.”
Directive stalled by city officials
Spies told the commission the process was halted after interference from the city’s Human Resources head, who questioned whether the EMPD could carry out vetting internally without going through corporate channels.
"The process was effectively stopped after intervention from the HR department,” he said. “From that point, no further vetting was done.”
This intervention, Spies said, effectively shielded the non-compliant officers from accountability and crippled the vetting programme, which had already begun in other divisions.
"We were trying to clean the system and ensure integrity, but the resistance came from within,” he testified.
By the time Spies retired in early 2025, not a single member from Mkhwanazi’s division had undergone fingerprint vetting.
"Even after he was promoted to brigadier, Mkhwanazi still refused to be vetted,” Spies added.
Integrity risk across the EMPD
The failure to complete the process, the commission heard, left serious gaps in the EMPD’s integrity management system. Spies said the lack of vetting made it impossible to verify whether officers had prior criminal records or pending cases.
He also warned that this oversight could compromise public safety and the department's credibility.
"Fingerprint vetting is not just a formality,” he explained. “It’s a key measure to prevent infiltration by criminal elements or the reappointment of officers previously dismissed for misconduct.”
The national fingerprinting initiative had been designed precisely to counter growing concerns over corruption, abuse of power, and the presence of organised crime networks within metro police ranks.
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