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Thepa reinstated as EMPD spokesperson

todayNovember 17, 2025 13

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The City of Ekurhuleni has reinstated, Lieutenant Colonel Kelebogile Thepa, as the spokesperson for the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department (EMPD).

The decision comes a few days after Thepa gave a chilling testimony at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry, detailing alleged corruption within the metro.

She told the commission she had been forcibly removed from her position and was nearly assassinated after exposing alleged wrongdoing involving EMPD deputy chief Brigadier Julius Mkhwanazi.

Thepa alleges that she was accosted at gunpoint by three men who demanded her cellphone, allegedly seeking sensitive information stored on the device.

The city’s spokesperson, Phakamile Mbengashe, says the EMPD’s Media and Public Relations Unit has formally been reinstated following an internal review of the department’s communication structures.

He says the decision is aimed at strengthening transparency, accountability and public confidence in the EMPD.

Meanwhile, newly appointed City Manager Kagiso Lerutla says consistent and accountable communication is essential for any law enforcement agency operating in a constitutional democracy.

“The reinstatement of the EMPD Media and Public Relations Unit is a corrective governance measure that ensures our communications functions operate within an approved structure, with clear reporting lines and proper oversight.”

Lerutla added that the reinstatement of Thepa and the media unit is an administrative and governance intervention and does not pre-empt the findings of the Commission.

“We will continue to cooperate fully with the Madlanga Commission and respect its independence. At the same time, we have a responsibility to ensure that our internal structures.”

Written by: Lindiwe Mpanza

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