Suspended Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department (EMPD) acting chief, Julius Mkhwanazi, has acknowledged having a close working relationship with controversial businessman Vusimuzi “CAT” Matlala, but maintains he played no part in fitting blue lights or municipal branding to Matlala’s private vehicles.
Mkhwanazi resumed his testimony before the commission on Wednesday, offering a detailed and at times defensive explanation of his involvement in the security planning for the 2022 State of the City Address (SOCA). Throughout his appearance, he sought to distance himself from allegations that Matlala’s company, CAT VIP Security, infiltrated official policing operations through fraudulent means.
He confirmed that he personally introduced Matlala to senior officials in the former mayor Tania Campbell’s office and admitted that CAT VIP was included in the operational plan for the SOCA. According to him, the decision was supported at senior EMPD level and involved no financial cost to the metro, with the arrangement justified at the time by concerns over political security threats reportedly raised by ANC structures.
Mkhwanazi said he had been informed that CAT VIP personnel possessed specialist tactical skills and believed the company had offered its services voluntarily as part of a strategic attempt to raise its profile. However, he insisted that he never took possession of, inspected, or authorised any modification to the vehicles Matlala allegedly intended to donate to the EMPD. His account contradicts evidence previously submitted to the commission, which claims the vehicles were improperly integrated into the department’s operations.
He stated that he received a letter indicating Matlala’s intention to donate the vehicles, but argues that the proposal stalled after then-deputy chief Rievo Spies reportedly intervened. Spies has accused Mkhwanazi of unlawfully signing memorandums of understanding in 2021 that enabled privately owned vehicles to be registered as municipal assets. One of these agreements involved Matlala’s healthcare company, Medicare 24, which was granted permission to draw blood at roadblocks and offer legal assistance during drug-related arrests, based on the CEO’s purported qualifications.
Mkhwanazi rejected Spies’s claims, insisting that the former deputy chief fabricated documents and misled the commission. He maintains that his engagement with Matlala stemmed from concerns raised by the then-chief, Jabulani Mapiyeye, about increased security risks facing the newly formed coalition government ahead of the SOCA. He added that members of the EMPD’s SWAT unit had informed him that CAT VIP could enhance the metro’s ageing vehicle fleet with high-performance upgrades, and that this information was shared with fleet management.
Mkhwanazi’s testimony is set to continue.
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