Madlanga Commission | Gxasheka rejects claims of irregular EMPD appointments

February 26, 2026 50

Ekurhuleni Head of Department for Human Resources, Linda Gxasheka, has challenged the authenticity of a letter allegedly drafted by suspended EMPD Police Chief Isaac Mapiyeye, in which he protests what he describes as irregular appointments within his department.

The letter, dated 13 April 2024, was produced before the Madlanga Commission as part of ongoing testimony into alleged governance irregularities at the metro.

Gxasheka told the commission the document relates to at least 55 positions she claims were originally requested by Mapiyeye himself, casting doubt on the basis of his objections.

She explained that, beyond the recruitment selection panel, the City follows a formal initiation process requiring documentation signed by the EMPD Chief and ultimately approved by her as HR Head of Department (HOD).

She stressed that recruitment decisions within EMPD have historically been collaborative.

Gxasheka further claimed that Mapiyeye only began raising concerns about her conduct after she pursued a sexual harassment complaint involving him.

The commission heard that a female EMPD employee had filed a statement alleging suspicious interactions between herself and Mapiyeye prior to her appointment.

Gxasheka also rejected claims that she was involved in engagements that allegedly led to the withdrawal of a disciplinary hearing against suspended EMPD Deputy Police Chief Julius Mkhwanazi.

During his testimony, Mapiyeye claimed that in June 2023 he was pressured into withdrawing an internal disciplinary process against Mkhwanazi, saying he wanted the harassment directed at him over the matter to stop.

At the time, Mkhwanazi was accused of unlawfully signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) establishing an immediate working relationship between the EMPD and Cat VIP Security Services, a company linked to alleged underworld figure Vusimuzi ‘Cat’ Matlala and allegedly granting blue-light privileges to Matlala’s vehicles.

Gxasheka strongly denied Mapiyeye’s claim that he consulted her and EMPD Head of Legal Services, Advocate Kemi Behari, prior to withdrawing the disciplinary action.

She maintained that she would not have supported such a decision given the seriousness of the allegations.

Gxasheka also rejected claims that she assumed powers vested in Mapiyeye or abused her authority within the metro.

She is accused of unlawfully supporting and participating in conduct that allegedly encroached on the authority of the EMPD Chief.

“I’m not going to exonerate myself in this hence I continuously – the latest being before my suspension last year – said let’s get to the bottom of this. But if someone is listening carefully, there has been, continuously, discussion that have been happening outside myself,” she said. “Let alone the fact that sometimes when I engage the city manager, you find that, legally, she has been well briefed, but we have our discussions and debates on the issues. It’s a very confusing situation between these two statements but I’m reiterating that I don’t think I would have agreed to this, if we had engaged on it.”

At least five witnesses who previously appeared before the commission implicated Gxasheka, including Witness D, Mapiyeye, Commissioner Revo Spies, HR Director Xolani Nciza and EMPD Head of Media and Public Relations Kelebogile Thepa.

Gxasheka told the commission it would have been senseless for her to overstep her professional mandate, emphasising that ultimate decision-making authority within the City of Ekurhuleni rests with the Municipal Manager.

She also addressed allegations that she supported the promotion of EMPD Capital Budget Planning and Revenue Officer Stella Jokazi, allegedly at the behest of suspended deputy chief Julius Mkhwanazi – despite objections from Police Chief Isaac Mapiyeye, in whom the authority for such decisions is vested.

Gxasheka told the commission that in April 2024 she received a selection panel proposal from Mapiyeye himself. The document, she said, listed Mapiyeye as chairperson of the panel, alongside her in her capacity as HOD HR, as well as Mkhwanazi.

She explained that the panel had been tasked with overseeing the recruitment of director and deputy director posts within EMPD’s operations and specialised services divisions.

Gxasheka maintained that her involvement was in line with the metro’s recruitment model and that she had been formally invited to participate by Mapiyeye.

She further testified that she faced significant challenges while serving as Acting HR HOD, noting that she oversees 25 departments within the City of Ekurhuleni – including political offices, which she described as presenting their own unique complexities and prolonged recruitment processes that previously took up to a year to fill critical posts.

After officially assuming office in February 2023, she introduced a Service Delivery Agreement model aimed at improving efficiency, reducing recruitment turnaround times to 90 days.

However, she said implementation challenges saw costs escalate from an initial R100 million budget to nearly R500 million – a development that ultimately resulted in a moratorium on filling posts and strained service delivery.

She also highlighted challenges within the labour relations space, particularly around implementation and cost control.