FORMER city manager in Kurhuleni municipality Imogen Mashazi and suspended head of labor Linda Gxasheka have returned home after being granted bail of R50 000 each at the Germiston Magistrate’s Court.
The pair spent two nights in Brooklyn police custody after their arrests on Wednesday.
The state told the court that it no longer opposes the bail as the addresses of the two have been confirmed.
The accused, suspended Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department (EMPD) deputy chief Julius Mkhwanazi and suspended legal chief Kemi Behari, were granted bail of R50,000 each on Thursday.
The four were arrested on charges of fraud, corruption and breach of justice.
Mashazi and Gxasheka’s bail applications were adjourned to Friday after the state raised concerns about their mysterious addresses since they registered multiple addresses when they first appeared in court on Thursday.
The state told the court that investigators found several properties linked to Mashazi, including houses in Meyersdal, Bedfordview, Waterfall, Sunward Park, Brakpan and Mpumalanga.
Xasheska also has homes in different places, including two places in Gauteng and one in the Eastern Cape, and only one address was confirmed.
The four officials are facing corruption charges after their arrest following the operation carried out by the police team investigating the cases that came before the Madlanga Commission, on Wednesday night.
The case is related to Mashazi’s role in protecting Mkhwanazi from disciplinary action.
This is after the Independent Police Investigative Directorate recommended that Mkhwanazi face disciplinary proceedings for allegedly helping to install green lights on Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala’s cars in 2022.
The government also said that Mashazi, Behari and Gxasheka acted with the same intention to protect Mkhwanazi, and that Behari and Gxasheka were given illegal salary increases, without the consent of the council.
It is said that the municipality paid Behari and Gxasheka a combined sum of R2.66m for illegal salary increases between the 2023/24 and 2025/26 financial years.
Julius Mkhwanazi is facing other charges of fraud, corruption and breaking the law which is being heard at the Boksburg Magistrate’s Court along with municipal manager Kagiso Lerutla.
They are accused of paying someone R400 000 to impersonate Lerutla in court. Lerutla was supposed to appear on the charge of speeding in 2019, but it is said that he did not appear in court because he was expected to attend the interview. They are out on R30 000 bail.
They will return to the District Court in Boksburg on Monday the 13th of the month when the layers of their trial will be made.
