"Pure Lies": Ekurhuleni Official Denies Illegally Fitting Blue Lights for Businessman Vusi "Cat" Matlala

Johannesburg – The Madlanga Commission witnessed a dramatic clash of testimonies as the Acting Chief of the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department (EMPD) flatly denied allegations that the city fitted blue lights on private vehicles for businessman Cat Matlala, labelling the claims as "pure lies" and a malicious plot of "character assassination."

This statement serves as a direct rebuttal to the explosive testimony given by Lieutenant General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, who alleged that an Ekurhuleni deputy police chief facilitated an elaborate scheme to register Matlala's private vehicles as municipal fleet and equip them with restricted emergency lighting.

A Point-Blank Denial: "The City Didn't Fit Any Blue Light"

In a firm and repeated denial, the Acting EMPD Chief challenged the core of the allegations. “There were no blue lights that were fitted by the city. I didn't fit any blue light. The city didn't fit any blue light,” he testified.

He emphatically stated that the municipality's position is clear and that he was personally involved in the relevant processes, leaving no room for ambiguity. To substantiate his claim, he invoked the principles of public accountability, daring investigators to scrutinize official documents.

“You see, I can assure you, you can go to our fleet, you can go to any document and this is a public institution. Anything that you do, any document that you touch, those files belong to the public,” he stated. “There are documentation that must prove that. We said, come on, go and check the processes and the procedures of the city. Go to procurement and check, go to fleet and check.”

READ: Cat Matlala's Private Cars Fitted with Municipal Blue Lights in Corruption Scandal

Allegations of a Malicious Smear Campaign

Moving beyond a simple denial, the Acting Chief alleged that the story was a fabricated smear. He asserted that the allegations originated from individuals with a destructive agenda.

“That story comes from within individuals that wanted to destroy somebody's name and deal with character assassination,” he testified.

Furthermore, he explicitly claimed that the allegations formally registered by the law enforcement department are false and that someone had misled Lt. General Mkhwanazi, potentially pointing to a wider internal conspiracy to misinform the inquiry.

READ: Madlanga Commission Highlights Legal Limits of Ministerial Authority in SAPS Operations

A Commission Gripped by Conflicting Testimonies

The conflicting accounts create a central puzzle for the Commission. On one side, Lt. General Mkhwanazi presented testimony detailing an alleged abuse of power and illegal bestowal of privileges to a private citizen. On the other, the Acting EMPD Chief offers a categorical denial, supported by an appeal to public records and accusations of a malicious plot.

This clash not only deepens the mystery around the extent of Cat Matlala's alleged privileges but also raises critical questions about internal dynamics within the Ekurhuleni law enforcement structures. The Commission's task is now to reconcile these diametrically opposed statements and determine where the truth lies.