Suspended Ekurhuleni legal head Advocate Kemi Behari has returned to the witness box after testimony that raised questions around political interference and the quiet collapse of a certain disciplinary case.
Behari appeared before the Madlanga Commission in Pretoria on Monday, where he conceded that he failed to ensure the re-suspension of suspended EMPD acting chief Commissioner Julius Mkhwanazi.
The lapse allowed the explosive “blue lights” case to expire without consequence, despite its seriousness and public interest.
His admission landed heavily. As the municipality’s top legal official at the time, Behari was tasked with safeguarding due process.
Instead, the commission heard, discipline at the senior level was repeatedly undermined.
Behari told the inquiry that political pressure has hollowed out accountability within the City of Ekurhuleni, making it “almost impossible” to enforce consequences against powerful officials.
He traced the pressure back to his involvement in a disciplinary case against former chief operations officer Lesiba Mojapelo, linked to more than R100 million in Grants-in-Aid funding.
According to Behari, evidence pointed to music executive Thembinkosi “TK” Nciza and businessman and media personality Sbu “DJ Sbu” Leope as beneficiaries of the scheme connected to Mojapelo’s conduct.
He said he raised this directly with his head of department, only to be met with resistance.
“I said to my HOD at the time, the only people we can call now are TK Nciza and Sbu Leope,” Behari testified. “They’re the ones the evidence points to.”
DJ Sbu has since publicly denied the allegations, describing them as false and unfounded.
kamogelo.moichela@iol.co.za
IOL Politics
