“Matlala is a dangerous man. I do not want this. I have a small child.”
These were the words that City of Ekurhuleni head of department (HOD) of Human Resources (HR) Linda Gxasheka allegedly uttered to Xolani Nciza in February 2023, when he was still the divisional head employee relations director at the City of Ekurhuleni.
Nciza revealed this information on Tuesday at the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into Criminality, Political Interference, and Corruption in the Criminal Justice System taking place in Pretoria.
Blue lights saga
In the testimony, Nciza said in February 2023 Gxasheka expressed her discomfort in initiating suspension proceedings against Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department (EMPD) deputy police chief Brig Julius Mkhwanazi over allegations that he fitted state blue lights in private vehicles belonging to alleged drug cartel member Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala.
Nciza said he was informed about the blue lights saga in February 2023 by retired EMPD deputy police chief Revo Spies. This was after the department received a media inquiry from News24 about allegations that Mkhwanazi registered Matlala’s cars as municipal vehicles and fitted them with state blue lights.
“The EMPD investigated the media inquiry’s allegations and the preliminary findings found that the vehicles were registered with the municipality. We do not how the cars were registered with the municipality. The cars were transporting civilians. It was an unusual situation…” said Nciza.
He said later in February 2023, he and EMPD police chief Isaac Mapiyeye, currently on suspension over sexual harassment allegations, had a meeting with then city manager Imogen Mashazi in Benoni over the allegations against Mkhwanazi and plans to initiate further investigations and to suspend Mkhwanazi.
HR boss expressed fear of Matlala
“She [Mashazi] was very receptive and supportive of the further investigations we wanted to do. And she said we should get to the bottom of this… We also met with the HR HOD Linda Gxasheka and told her about the suspension plans of Mkhwanazi…
“The HR HOD did not oppose anything. We started preparing the suspension. She expressed discomfort since there is a linkage to Matlala and there is media coverage around him. She said Matlala is a dangerous man…,” said Nciza.
Nciza further said Gxasheka told him in IsIXhosa how she fears for her family’s safety in getting involved in the processing of Mkhwanazi’s suspension.
“In one of our interactions she told me: ‘Xolani, I don’t want this. I have a small child. Fix this thing. I have a small child…’ ”
Nciza said in a WhatsApp conversation in February 2023 with Gxasheka he told her that “we need bodyguards. I am sorry, we are going to war here”.
Reference to Babita Deokaran murder
He said Gxasheka responded to him and said: “The Tembisa case ended up in murder”.
Nciza did not state which Tembisa case Gxasheka was referring to. But Gxasheka could have been referring to the August 2021 murder of corruption whistleblower Babita Deokaran. She was the Gauteng Health Department chief director of financial accounting.
Deokaran was shot and killed outside her Winchester Hills home in Johannesburg south. This happened after she uncovered irregular and dubious payments made to countless companies by the Tembisa Provincial Tertiary Hospital.
Nciza’s testimony is led by one of the commission’s evidence leaders, Adv Ofentse Motlhasedi.
The commission is taking place at the Brigitte Mabandla Justice College in Pretoria. It is chaired by retired Constitutional Court Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga.
The commission resumes on Wednesday at 9.30am with the continuation of Nciza’s testimony.
Private vehicles fitted with state blue lights
Nciza is the former divisional head employee relations director at the City of Ekurhuleni.
Mapiyeye and Spies told the commission that EMPD’s internal investigation uncovered that Matlala’s private vehicles were registered as municipal vehicles and installed with state blue lights by Mkhwanazi.
They said Mkhwanazi “illegally” organised for Matlala’s CAT VIP to provide security services during the City’s State Of the City Address (SOCA) in March 2022.
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