Ekurhuleni upgrades suspension status of two officials implicated in Madlanga commission

City of Ekurhuleni sign. Picture: Neil McCartney / The Citizen Two officials implicated in corruption during the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry have been placed on full suspension by the City of Ekurhuleni. Ekurhuleni head of legal services and risk, Kemi Behari, and head of human resources, Linda Qxasheka, were placed on precautionary suspension in December for their alleged roles in corruption with the metro’s police department.

Executive mayor Nkosindiphile Xhakaza on Monday confirmed that the pair had had their suspensions upgraded to full suspensions. The mayor stated that both had been served with charge sheets detailing their alleged misconduct and would appear before a disciplinary committee in due course. Behari and Qxasheka were both mentioned during the Madlanga Commission and were referenced in the interim report that suggested further investigation was required.

The pair were accused by commission witnesses as having shielded Deputy Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department (EMPD) Chief of Police Julius Mkhwanazi from accountability. Behari appeared before the commission last week and denied receiving any financial reward for protecting Mkhwanazi or for interfering in disciplinary processes against the suspended deputy chief. The municipality’s Chief Information Officer, Moloko Monyepao, was also placed on precautionary suspension last April regarding alleged billing irregularities that cost the municipality an estimated R2 billion.

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Monyepao was again in court on Monday after approaching the courts to interdict a pending disciplinary process, but the court dismissed the application with costs. The city noted it was the suspended CIO’s fourth unsuccessful legal attempt, with each attempt seeing him suffer cost orders. Xhakaza also stated that Mkhwanazi was set to face additional charges after receiving an additional charge sheet.

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