Senior EMPD officers accused of murder cover-up at Madlanga Commission
The Madlanga Commission on Monday heard explosive testimony linking senior Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department (EMPD) officials to a 2022 murder cover-up, forged documents, and unlawful partnerships that gave private companies policing powers in the city.
Retired EMPD Deputy Chief of Police, Revo Spies, detailed a chilling account of how metro officers allegedly tortured a man to death in Brakpan before disposing of the body under the guidance of then-director of specialised services, Brigadier Julius Mkhwanazi.
According to Spies, Mkhwanazi allgedly instructed officers on how to clean the crime scene and conceal the evidence.
The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) has since opened an investigation into the incident.
In the same sitting, the commission heard that Mkhwanazi, who is currently on special leave, allegedly forged the signatures of his superiors to formalise illegal partnerships with companies linked to alleged cartel leader Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala.
“These memorandums purport to say a private company will act as police,” Spies testified.
“It’s absurd, it’s as if private businessmen were suddenly given the authority to perform police duties.”
According to the testimony, Matlala’s firms, Cat VIP Protection and Medicare 24, were effectively allowed to act as extensions of the metro police.
The forged agreements granted them powers to respond to emergencies, register their luxury cars as EMPD assets, and even perform medical procedures during operations.
Spies described the arrangements as “childlike” and legally indefensible, warning that they blurred the line between public policing and private business interests.
The commission also heard that one of Matlala’s companies offered the city use of a helicopter, but only for two hours per month, a gesture Spies said had “no real operational or financial value”.
“It’s an illusion of value,” he said. “Two hours of helicopter time do nothing for crime prevention or visibility.”
Mkhwanazi has since been placed on special leave to allow investigations to continue. However, he maintains that all agreements with Matlala’s companies were done lawfully and with proper authority.
Suspended EMPD Chief Jabulani Mapiyeye previously told the inquiry that members of the Metro’s elite SWAT unit, which fell under Mkhwanazi’s command, are facing multiple criminal charges,including extortion, kidnapping, theft, hijacking, and murder.
Spies said such cases illustrated how deeply compromised policing structures had become, with personal alliances replacing institutional accountability.
Beyond the forged partnerships and alleged cover-up, the inquiry also heard about “irregular training initiatives, donation breaches, and altered operational plans” within the Metro Police.
Spies testified that donations were often accepted informally and training programmes launched without the required city approval.
“There’s a complete process that a city has to go through when accepting donations,” he said. “If it doesn’t go through the city manager and council, it becomes irregular expenditure, even if it’s well-intentioned.”
He cited a case where a church’s free cleaning service during the COVID-19 pandemic was flagged by the Auditor-General for being unrecorded,saying that similar procedural violations persisted under Mkhwanazi’s leadership.
Spies also raised alarm over signs that an official EMPD operational plan, believed to have informed the controversial partnership with Cat VIP Protection, had been tampered with after submission.
“It’s as if someone replaced the middle portion of the plan,” he said, describing visible inconsistencies in paper texture and printer markings.
The alleged alterations, he warned, could indicate deliberate manipulation intended to hide irregular authorisations or misrepresent official directives.
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