Convicted murders and rapists slipped through EMPD vetting and served in uniform

More than 300 Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department (EMPD) officers have criminal records or are awaiting trial for serious offences.

Retired EMPD deputy chief Revo Spies on Tuesday provided the Madlanga commission with a breakdown of the data and the extensive opposition he faced in obtaining it.

The information was obtained through a re-vetting process instituted in 2022, with the primary objector being the freshly suspended deputy chief Julius Mkhwanazi.

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EMPD’s convicted criminals

Spies’ morning session testimony focused on a programme to capture the fingerprints of all EMPD staff as part of a re-vetting initiative.

Prior to 2022, only promoted officers had their fingerprints retaken, with some not having done so since joining or since the department was formed in 2002.

The EMPD was formed through the amalgamation of nine traffic departments that covered the East Rand in the 90s and prior.

Answering questions on the outcome of the fingerprint gathering process, Spies confirmed 58 EMPD officers had convictions for assault, while four were convicted of murder, and a further four had rape convictions.

Additionally, 41 officers had been convicted of theft, 33 for drunk driving, 28 for reckless and negligent driving, seven for fraud and six for possession of drugs.

As of 2022, 38 officers were awaiting trial — 15 for murder, 15 for fraud and a further eight for robbery.

EMPD also had three convicted robbers, six convicted extortionists and six more convicted kidnappers, among others.

Spies said some of the crimes dated back to the 80s, and that many were committed before the officers joined the EMPD.

“How the officers passed the initial recruitment process is also unknown to me because their fingerprints were taken, and how they got forced into the system, I don’t know.

“These records relate to everything the South African Police Service has as a criminal record based on fingerprints,” Spies explained.

Mkhwanazi objected

These figures exclude Mkhwanazi and the members of the specialised unit operating under him.

Spies relayed how, during a briefing on the vetting process, Mkhwanazi went on a raging tirade, determined to disrupt matters.  

“He just kept on screaming at me,” said Spies, explaining that Mkhwanazi then took out his phone in the boardroom to make a call in front of senior management.  

“He speaks, and you clearly hear that he speaks to the city manager, Imogen Mashazi, and puts the phone down.

“He puts the phone down, and he says the city manager says this process will stop immediately. Then he turned around and walked out in an extremely disrespectful manner,” said Spies.

Mkhwanazi refused to provide his fingerprints, as did his team, with Spies saying that he has yet to see a vetting report on those members.

Union members and individual officers also objected, but relinquished after Spies explained that several pieces of legislation allowed for police officers to have their fingerprints taken and that it was an offence to refuse.

Once the data had been compiled for presentation, Spies was forced to hand it over to the department’s corporate and legal services.

Human resources then took control of the matter, with Spies saying that was the last time the information was discussed.

Spies has repeatedly said throughout his testimony since Friday that the city manager and the legal and human resources departments protected Mkhwanazi and his officers.

Insignia not conferred

A matter of Mkhwanazi’s personal presentation and the lack of prestige with which he wore his uniform was also elaborated on.

Spies said Mkhwanazi was regularly reprimanded by seniors for displaying the insignia of his deputy commissioner rank incorrectly.

The insignia for Spies and Mkhwanazi, who were the same rank, features a sword and sheath, with the tip of the sword needing to face outward.

Spies explained that the outward projection of the sword’s tip symbolised attack and defence, whereas an inward projection would have negative symbolic connotations.  

“It’s an embarrassment, it’s wrong, the whole time. He doesn’t know which side must go to which side,” said Spies.

The reason Mkhwanazi may not be versed in the importance of the insignia, Spies says, is that Mkhwanazi did not have his rank conferred upon him by his superiors.

Spies was in charge of the department’s inventory and would receive an instruction to provide a certain number of insignias for handover and conferring ceremonies.

He said this was not done for Mkhwanazi, who instead went to the inventory clerks and instructed employees to hand over his insignia.

“With [Mkhwanazi], it didn’t happen that way. He went directly to the stores, and he forcefully told the staff, who are clerks, ‘here is my appointment letter, I’ve been appointed, give me my ranks.’

“He hasn’t gone through the conferment process at all,” Spies concluded.

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