Suspended Ekurhuleni metro police department (EMPD) deputy chiefBrig Julius Mkhwanazihas told the Madlanga commission he entered into an agreement with attempted murder accused and tenderpreneur Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala without any vetting. Mkhwanazi said there were threats that a political party was planning to cause disruptions during then-mayor Tania Campbell’s state of the city address, hence the agreement, on behalf of the city, with Matlala’s CAT VIP Protection. WATCH | Suspended EMPD boss Julius Mkhwanazi begins his testimony at the#MadlangaCommissionby explaining his background and positions in the EMPD.Video:@Koena_xMpic.twitter.com/wC3dZ77Yu8 Mkhwanazi’s testimonyon Wednesday started with denials that he had fitted blue lights in Matlala’s cars.
But as he was pressed by commissioners, he eventually admitted the memo he signed permitted them to do so, and even acknowledged he was wrong. “EMPD will assist with registration of vehicles under EMPD as “official vehicles” and we will be permitted to use blue and red lights to respond for and on behalf of EMPD. The cost of this will be for Medicare24/Anubis Protection Services,“ read the memo in part.
Mkhwanazi spent his first day trying to sidestep questions about a memorandum of understanding (MoU) the EMPD entered into with Matlala. But, as he was being grilled, he admitted that he was wrong. “We just wanted backup…
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” he said, acknowledging, though, that he trusted the city’s VIP protection. Asked why he deployed CAT VIP if that was the case, Mkhwanazi said: “It [CAT VIP deployment] was [working] on the upper part of the building, identifying spotters and checking those that are good in terms of shooting.” He said the threats they were dealing with at the time were different. He said he had never gotten a letter telling him to make sure an event was well secured.
“It was for the first time [getting the letter]… There’s a letter that says, ‘hey, make sure that it’s normal’, and you can see that the mayor, she was worried too.” Mkhwanazi said there were two cars driving with the mayor and eight CAT VIP employees deployed elsewhere at the event. He said he did not vet the CAT VIP staff.
“We know them. They are good people,” he said.
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