The Ekurhuleni blue lights scandal moves to the regional court on 25 February 2027, when former metropolitan police deputy chief Julius Mkhwanazi and three former senior municipal officials are expected to answer charges of fraud, corruption and defeating the ends of justice.
The four last appeared in the Germiston Magistrate’s Court on Friday, where defence teams confirmed receipt of the full case docket. The matter had been postponed on 6 November for exactly that purpose. The material is now in the defence’s hands, though further particulars may still be requested.
The case places the conduct of the municipality’s former leadership under direct scrutiny. Alongside Mkhwanazi, the accused are former Ekurhuleni city manager Imogen Mashazi, former head of human resources Linda Gxasheka and former head of legal services Khemraj “Kemi” Behari. The state alleges the three former officials helped shield Mkhwanazi from internal disciplinary action after he allegedly facilitated the fitting of blue lights to vehicles linked to businessman Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala through a fraudulent memorandum of agreement.
At the heart of the allegations sits a question of institutional accountability. Did disciplinary processes within the municipality stall despite clear recommendations for action? The state also points to irregular salary adjustments involving municipal officials, arguing that oversight mechanisms were not merely bypassed but actively undermined.
Meanwhile, Friday’s proceedings surfaced the employment fallout now confronting the accused, several of whom are seeking to remain in contact with the institution they once served. Behari asked the court for access to seized cellphones and a relaxation of his bail conditions so he can communicate with certain municipal officials. Gxasheka raised issues around her employment dispute and UIF payments, seeking permission to engage the relevant officials. Her bargaining council matter is set down for 1 December.
Mkhwanazi is pursuing separate legal action in the Labour Court following his dismissal from the EMPD. His relationship with the municipality is therefore being contested on more than one legal front.
The regional court date is not the only proceeding on the horizon. A separate case involving Mkhwanazi, Matlala and Ekurhuleni fleet manager Chris Steyn concerns allegations surrounding the fitting of blue lights and sirens to vehicles linked to Matlala, and returns to court on 29 January 2027, weeks before the regional court hearing.
Taken together, the two cases will test how far accountability reaches within Ekurhuleni’s former municipal leadership, and whether the alleged failure to act on internal disciplinary recommendations carries consequences in court.