JOHANNESBURG - Suspended Ekurhuleni Metropolice Deputy Chief Julius Mkhwanazi says Vusimuzi 'Cat' Matlala's vehicles were 'donations' to the City.
That is how CAT VIP vehicles, according to Mkhwanazi, were registered.
Mkhwanazi testified before the Madlanga Commission on Wednesday to defend allegations against him, regarding his connection to Matlala.
Mkhwanazi told the Commission that he met Matlala in 2021, when introduced by Medicare24 founder Mike va Wyk. He was introduced to Van Wyk by colleagues in the former EMPD SWAT unit.
READ: EMPD described as ‘a place of destruction’ at Madlanga Commission
Retired EMPD Deputy Chief, Revo Spies told the Commission that members of the SWAT unit, now called the Specialised Services Unit, refused to be vetted.
The trio became cordial, with regular interactions in which Mkhwanazi and Matlala started referring to each other by first names.
He told the Commission that Matlala had wanted to improve his business operations.
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"He wanted to attract high-profile clients," he said.
According to Mkhwanazi, Matlala told him that he was getting a new fleet of high-end vehicles and his current fleet was costing him a lot of money to maintain. Therefore, he was getting rid of them.
READ: Matlala's Ad Hoc testimony exposed decades of known rot - MP
Due to the City's lack of sufficient vehicles, Mkhwanazi suggested to Matlala that he could donate them. Something that Ekurhuleni Corporate proxy, Chris Steyn agreed to.
He concedes that he was hands-on with the vehicle's registration as well as collecting their license discs.
Spies confirmed through his testimony that the vehicles were registered through Steyn.
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After the registration, Mkhwanazi heard from Steyn that there was 'noise' surrounding the registration. Despite Mkhwanazi assuring assuring him that everything was above board.
The 'noise', however, did not go away.
"I heard through social media and the media about the registration being suspicious," he said.
Mkhwanazi concedes that neither he nor Steyn ever saw the 'donations' to the City before registering them.
He also says that he never met Matlala's wife and was just as surprised seeing the blue lights on social media.
"I didn't install blue lights, I didn't brand the cars, I didn't see the cars physically," he told the Commission.