Suspended Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department (EMPD) chief Isaac Mapiyeye fathered multiple children with his subordinates, and his conduct amounted to sexual harassment, coercion, and rape of female officers within the organisation.
These allegations were revealed on Monday by former City of Ekurhuleni city manager Dr Imogen Mashazi when she was speaking at the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Criminality, Political Interference, and Corruption in the Criminal Justice System in Pretoria.
Mashazi stated during her testimony, led by Advocate Mahlape Sello SC, one of the commission’s evidence leaders, that she was appointed as city manager of Ekurhuleni in 2016 and reappointed in 2022.
She stated that she retired on July 17, 2025, having reached the mandatory retirement age of 65.
According to Mashazi, she was informed in 2016 by a few female EMPD officers that Mapiyeye had fathered several children through them.
One of the ‘angels’ promoted
“It was reported to me that Mapiyeye fathered multiple children with many of his subordinates, and his conduct amounted to sexual harassment, coercion and rape. This pattern of behaviour is disturbing and problematic,” said Mashazi.
She said these allegations of sexual harassment, coercion and rape started in 2012 and also occurred during Mashazi’s city manager tenure, from 2016 until 2025.
Mashazi said she knows the names of women that Mapiyeye fathered children with but does not know how many they are.
She said Mapiyeye promoted EMPD female officers that were “sleeping with him”, and he referred to them as “angels”.
Mashazi said EMPD spokesperson and head of media and public relations unit Lt-Col Kelebogile Thepa is “one of the angels that had a sexual relationship with Mapiyeye”.
“It is a fact that Thepa had a sexual relationship with Mapiyeye. She was one of the women he referred to as his angels.
“Mapiyeye promoted Thepa in a short timeframe, while others who were appointed before her were not promoted. This kind of practice gave me sleepless nights.”
In September 2024, the City of Ekurhuleni placed Mapiyeye on precautionary suspension due to sexual harassment allegations against him.
Threatened with death
In November, Mapiyeye testified before the commission that in 2023, Mashazi had instructed him and the then-EMPD deputy chief of police in charge of auxiliary and logistical support, Revo Spies, to cease “pursuing” and “pushing” to see suspended EMPD deputy chief of police Brig. Julius Mkhwanazi charged by the municipality for allegedly installing the state’s blue lights in personal vehicles owned by alleged drug cartel member Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala.
Mapiyeye said Mashazi threatened to send a “hitman called Mr Mswazi” to kill him and Spies.
Zanemvula Msibi, popularly known as Mswazi, was a wealthy Pretoria taxi owner and transport mogul. He died in a Pretoria hospital in January 2024 due to an undisclosed illness.
The commission continues.
