Ekurhuleni city manager and suspended metro police chief arrested on fraud charges

Kagiso Lerutla and Julius Mkhwanazi allegedly paid an impersonator to attend a 2019 speeding court case.

Ekurhuleni city manager Kagiso Lerutla and suspended metro police deputy chief Julius Mkhwanazi appeared in the Boksburg Magistrate's Court on Monday on charges of fraud, corruption and defeating the ends of justice, with their bail hearing postponed to Thursday.¹¹¹² The charges relate to an alleged 2019 scheme in which an impersonator attended court in Lerutla's place after he was arrested for speeding.¹²¹⁴

Mkhwanazi was arrested at his home in Gauteng on Saturday, while Lerutla was arrested at OR Tambo International Airport on Sunday after arriving from Cape Town.¹¹⁰¹³ National police spokesperson Brig Athlenda Mathe said the arrests were made by the SAPS Madlanga task team.¹¹¹

According to the state, Lerutla was arrested for speeding in 2019 and released on R1,000 bail with a court date that coincided with his scheduled interview for the position of chief financial officer at the Ekurhuleni municipality.¹⁴ Mathe said Lerutla approached Mkhwanazi and they arranged for an impersonator, referred to as Mr X, to appear in court using Lerutla's details.¹²¹⁴ The impersonator was convicted and sentenced to a diversion programme involving community service, which he allegedly performed only once.¹⁷

The state alleges Lerutla paid both Mkhwanazi and the impersonator R200,000 each, for a total of R400,000.¹⁴¹³ State prosecutor Adv Nceba Ntelwa told the court the state will oppose bail and that the two acted in common purpose, with Mkhwanazi as the receiver of gratification and Lerutla as the giver.¹²¹⁷

Mathe said the arrests followed information brought to the task team after its establishment in connection with the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry, but added that the charges are not directly related to evidence presented at the commission.¹³¹⁷ Mkhwanazi had previously testified at the commission about allegations linking him to suspected criminal cartel member Vusimuzi "Cat" Matlala, including claims he fitted blue lights to Matlala's vehicles.⁴¹¹

The City of Ekurhuleni appointed Tsholofelo Koopedi to act as city manager for Monday.¹⁰ Opposition parties called for Lerutla's immediate suspension. ActionSA spokesperson Tumelo Tshabalala said the party would table a motion in council to suspend Lerutla, citing provisions in the Municipal Systems Act.¹⁶ The DA mayoral candidate for Ekurhuleni, Khathutshelo Rasilingwane, said Lerutla should be suspended pending investigation and dismissed if found guilty.¹⁵¹⁶