DA welcomes dismissal of EMPD’s Mkhwanazi

The Democratic Alliance (DA) Ekurhuleni mayoral candidate Khathutshelo Rasilingwane has welcomed the dismissal of former Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department (EMPD) deputy chief Julius Mkhwanazi.

She says the DA had called for his suspension over allegations linked to the so-called Blue Light Saga and that EMPD officials should be appointed based on merit and qualifications.

She was speaking at a wreath-laying gathering at the site where 38-year-old Elizabeth “Tsontso” Moselagkomo’s body was found.

Rasilingwane says Mkhwanazi’s dismissal is only the beginning of efforts to strengthen policing in Ekurhuleni.

“We welcome his dismissal and we are telling residents of Ekurhuleni that this is good riddance.

This is a fight we started in 2023 when we heard about his involvement in the blue light saga with Kenny Kunene and Katlego Matlala.

We said the right thing to do was to suspend him, investigate and if there was any wrongdoing on his part, get rid of him,” says Rasilingwane.

Meanwhile, DA leader Geordin Hill-Lewis says the best way to honour the women killed in Ekurhuleni on Gauteng’s East Rand is to ensure government takes the safety of women seriously.

He added that this requires effective policing, restoring integrity within law enforcement and addressing corruption in the SAPS and EMPD.

Hill-Lewis says the safety crisis facing communities is closely linked to how government and law enforcement operate.

He called for stronger policing and greater accountability within the SAPS and EMPD.

Hill-Lewis was speaking after a public meeting in Kempton Park and a wreath-laying gathering at the site where one of the victims was found.

“The best way to honour these victims is to choose a government that cares, that will get the police working, that will restore integrity, and that will get rid of corrupt cops in the EMPD and in the South African Police Service (SAPS).

I think that is a message that all of us must take seriously,” he adds.