Mkhwanazi fingers Ekurhuleni metro police boss in 'Cat' Matlala's Blue Light scandal

Major-General Julius Mkhwanazi, the Deputy Chief of Police at Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department, is under scrutiny following allegations involving businessman Vusi “Cat” Matlala.

Accusations that the metro police boss helped Matlala to register his vehicles under the municipality and fit them with blue lights are raising eyebrows.

This transpired during a testimony by Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi at the Madlanga Judicial Commission of Inquiry in Pretoria on Thursday.

The commission, chaired by retired Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga, aims to investigate the allegations of corruption, political interference and protection of criminal networks in the criminal justice system.

According to Mkhwanazi’s testimony, the metro police officer’s superior (Julius Mkhwanazi), who flagged the alleged wrongdoing by reporting it to the municipality, was suspended.

He said the officer (Julius Mkhwanazi) allegedly helped Matlala register his vehicles under the municipality, making them appear as municipal vehicles, using Ekurhuleni's funds. 

When checked on the system, Mkhwanazi said, the vehicles fitted with blue lights show up as belonging to the municipality, rather than Matlala. 

“In terms of the Traffic Act the only authorised bodies to be able to drive with blue lights on the street are law-enforcement, which are the SAPS, metro police traffic police and military police,” he said.

Mkhwanazi testified that a report is available regarding a complaint filed by the chief of metro police. 

He claimed that the municipality's political heads did not want the chief to pursue the matter, and the issue was escalated to the City Manager, without any action being taken.

A police officer from the City of Johannesburg metro police, Johannes Magatle, was identified by Mkhwanazi on Thursday as a close associate of businessman Katiso “KT” Molefe, who was arrested. 

Molefe appeared at the Alexandra Magistrate’s Court in Johannesburg on Thursday morning, facing serious murder charges linked to the high-profile killings of renowned DJs Oupa Sefoka aka DJ Sumbody, and Hector "DJ Vintos" Buthelezi.

Mkhwanazi said on February 5, 2025, Magatle submitted a statement, known as an affidavit, to the covert police operation during their investigation into Molefe's activities.

Magatle's affidavit was requested due to his presence during Molefe's arrest in December last year and the role he played that day.

“His response is that he became acquainted with warrant officer Michael Pule Tau, a former member of the SAPS detective branch Johannesburg Central, who is an accused with Mr Molefe in a Vereeniging murder case of Mr (Armand) Swart,” Mkhwanazi said.

According to the testimony from Mkhwanazi, Magatle received a call from Molefe on December 6 last year, complaining about a vehicle, that he had suspicions about, parked near his house. 

Magatle responded by fetching Molefe and driving him to the vehicle, confirming that the vehicle was a police vehicle. 

Mkhwanazi said the incident raises concerns about Magatle's actions, particularly his use of his position as a traffic officer to assist Molefe.

In a bid to show the role of politicians in Parliament in undermining the work by the crime intelligence service, Mkhwanazi accused DA MPL Dianne Kohler Barnard of breaking the law and fueling malicious attacks against crime intelligence and its member, especially Dumisani Khumalo. 

Khumalo, the head of Crime Intelligence was arrested on June 26, 2025, at OR Tambo International Airport by the Investigative Directorate Against Corruption on charges related to misuse of crime intelligence slush funds.

He is currently facing serious corruption allegations and is fighting to have his bail conditions relaxed so he can return to work.

Specifically, Mkhwanazi referenced a statement by Barnard, the DA's Shadow Minister of State Security, calling for a thorough investigation into the SAPS's purchase of a multimillion-rand commercial property in the Durban area for the crime intelligence division. 

In the statement, Barnard noted that the transaction, approved by high-ranking officials, raises concerns due to the substantial taxpayer funds involved, particularly following a questionable R22.7 million expenditure in Pretoria.

“We know and we are going to demonstrate later that the intelligence community operates separately from the normal account,” Mkhwanazi said.

Barnard stated on Thursday, saying she 'categorically and in the strongest possible terms refute the outrageous, defamatory, and entirely baseless allegations made against me by (Mkhwanazi), suggesting my involvement in a criminal syndicate and the leaking of sensitive information'.

Mkhwanazi, during his testimony on Thursday also raised concerns about the conduct of DA MPL Fadiel Adams, accusing him of having unauthorised access to intelligence information and dealing with it "recklessly".

Adams allegedly accused the task team of being an armed force of former Minister of Police Bheki Cele, and claimed that funds were being used to purchase vehicles for the Political Killings Task Team in KZN. 

Mkhwanazi emphasised that as a lawmaker, Adams should know the law and comply with the National Intelligence Act.

Also yesterday, Mkhwanazi implicated Fisokuhle Ntuli, one of the accused in the high-profile Senzo Meyiwa murder case. 

According to Mkhwanazi, Ntuli had a prior conviction for four attempted murders, having been arrested, charged and sentenced for the crime.

While on bail, Ntuli was arrested and charged with the murders and possession of unlicensed firearms.

Mkhwanazi expressed concern over courts granting bail to repeat offenders, highlighting Ntuli's case as a prime example.

This week, security strategist Andy Mashaile warned that we should brace ourselves, as Mkhwanazi is about to open a can of worms.“A lot more worse is going to come out over these four days of testimony,” said Mashaile. 

“He is going to reveal the names of judges, magistrates, prosecutors, police officers, and politicians. I suspect some of these politicians are sitting on the Inter-Ministerial Committee.”

Mashaile warned that the public release of these names could undermine public confidence in parliamentary oversight structures, including the ad hoc committee investigating Mkhwanazi’s allegations.

“When those implicated are found to be sitting on oversight bodies, the public will lose confidence in these processes,” he said.

The inquiry will resume this morning.

Additional Reporting by Simon Majadibodu