Intelligence reveals EMPD officials involved in drug peddling – Ipid investigations boss

General overview at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry at Brigitte Mabandla Judicial College in Pretoria on 22 September 2025. Picture: Gallo Images/Luba Lesolle Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) acting national head of investigations, Thuso Keefelakae, has told the Madlanga commission that drug peddling is rampant among officials of the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department (EMPD). On Wednesday, the commission focused on the Ipid’s account of criminality and corruption in the City of Ekurhuleni.

“With the EMPD, we have taken note of the challenges of crime, a particular crime trend in the area that is very problematic. You know, if the crime is committed by the people who are at the lower level, you would understand that the gravity is not much, and you are able to have the command and control to try and fix the problems,” explained Keefelakae. “But when the problems are up there, and there is a whole lot of infighting and all of that, that then creates a problem, and hence the high number of cases there.

“What we have observed in that municipality is that there are other trends that we have identified through some intelligence that have been staged. It’s a problem. And we have the issue of drugs, the proliferation of drugs there.

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Drug peddling – it’s something that is a challenge in such a way that it’s a business. “The police are involved. The EMPD is involved in those kinds of things.

They operate in such a way that they are in silos. This silo is responsible for making sure that, where drugs are concerned, it is our terrain. And those who are dealing with drugs that carry consignments of goods are in their terrain.

It’s don’t touch.” However, Keefelakae noted that other metros were not angels either, as they are dealing with their own issues. On Tuesday, the commission heard testimony from Ekurhuleni’s head of legal services, Kemi Behari. His department drafted a letter in response to the Ipid’s report on suspended EMPD deputy commissioner Julius Mkhwanazi.

Mkhwanazi was placed on special leave in September last year after being linked to controversial businessman Vusimuzi ‘Cat’ Matlala. Mkhwanazi allegedly entered into a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with CAT VIP Protection, which led to some of the company’s vehicles being fitted with blue lights.

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