Ekurhuleni city manager and suspended police chief arrested on fraud charges

Kagiso Lerutla and Julius Mkhwanazi face charges linked to alleged court impersonation scheme dating to 2019.

Police arrested Ekurhuleni city manager Kagiso Lerutla and suspended metro police deputy chief Julius Mkhwanazi over the weekend on charges of fraud, corruption and defeating the ends of justice.¹²³ Both men appeared in the Boksburg magistrate's court on Monday, with their bail hearing postponed to Thursday.¹¹¹²

The arrests followed an investigation by the South African Police Service's Madlanga task team.¹⁴ Mkhwanazi, 50, was arrested at his home in Gauteng on Saturday, while Lerutla, 40, was detained at OR Tambo International Airport on Sunday after arriving from Cape Town.¹²¹⁰¹³

According to national police spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe, the charges relate to a 2019 incident in which Lerutla was arrested for speeding and summoned to court.¹²¹⁴ Mathe said Lerutla arranged for someone else to appear in his place because the court date coincided with an interview for the position of chief financial officer at the municipality.¹⁴ The impersonator, referred to as Mr X for safety reasons, was found guilty and sentenced to community service.¹²¹⁴

Mathe said the state alleges Lerutla and Mkhwanazi colluded to find the impersonator, with each man receiving R200,000 in the scheme.¹²¹⁴ She said the investigation was prompted by information from a whistleblower.¹⁴

The arrests are part of a broader probe into alleged corruption within the Ekurhuleni metro police department.¹ Police confirmed the charges are not connected to separate allegations before the Madlanga Commission, where Mkhwanazi's alleged dealings with suspected cartel member Vusumuzi Matlala came under scrutiny.⁴¹³

Mathe said the Madlanga Commission has become a platform for uncovering wrongdoing beyond its formal hearings.¹³ She said the task team is still searching for other suspects linked to the case.¹

The city appointed Tsholofelo Koopedi as acting city manager for Monday.¹⁰ Opposition parties called for Lerutla's immediate suspension, with the Democratic Alliance urging Mayor Nkosindiphile Xhakaza to act and ActionSA indicating it would table a motion in council.¹⁵¹⁶ Lerutla has served as city manager for five months after previously holding the chief financial officer position.¹⁰