Acting metro police chief Brigadier Julius Mkhwanazi has officially been placed on special leave following allegations linking him to suspected underworld figure Vusimuzi ‘Cat’ Matlala.

Mkhwanazi applied for special leave on his own after being implicated in the Madlanga Commission.

A motion was submitted last week, Thursday, in the council sitting by the Independent Residents Association of South Africa (IRASA), calling for Mkhwanazi to be placed on precautionary leave.

While recommendations were made, Executive Mayor Nkosindiphile Xhakaza ruled that the motion could not carry and would instead need to be referred back to the city manager.

“The matter will remain within the hands of the administration until the investigation is concluded,” said Xhakaza.

The mayor further explained: “The deputy chief of police is not appointed or employed through a council sitting, but rather through an administrative process led by the city manager, in accordance with Section 55(1)(e) of the Municipal Systems Act (Act 32 of 2000), which empowers the city manager, as the accounting officer, to appoint staff other than those referred to in Section 56.

“To ensure continuity and impartiality, this process will be delegated to the acting city manager for processing, in line with the Municipal Systems Act and Section 82 of the Municipal Structures Act, which regulates the appointment of staff and the delegation of municipal functions.

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“He said this approach would ensure that the city remains compliant with labour law, collective agreements, and constitutional imperatives while protecting the integrity of municipal governance.”

The motion, which was debated in council on Thursday, followed testimony by KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, who recently alleged that Matlala, a businessman, had received special treatment from Ekurhuleni’s law enforcement offices.

The motion stated:

“The motion is being submitted for urgent consideration in terms of Rule 90 of the standing orders of council because the allegations raised before the Judicial Commission of Inquiry into criminality, political interference, and corruption in the criminal justice system have an immediate and severe impact on the credibility, stability, and integrity of governance of both the EMPD and the municipality as a whole.

“Council recognises that the Madlanga Commission has not yet concluded its work and that no findings have been finalised.

“However, the mere continuation of Brigadier Mkhwanazi in his role, despite being implicated under oath, creates a real and present risk.”

The parties said that a precautionary suspension was necessary, not as a declaration of guilt, but as a measure to protect the integrity of the investigation.

“Allowing him to remain in office in these circumstances would undermine the credibility of the EMPD, compromise the perception of fairness in the investigative process, and further damage public trust in this municipality,” said ATM’s John Senona, a supporter of the motion.