Ekurhuleni metro police chief suspended over ‘serious’ allegations of misconduct, including GBV

The Ekurhuleni chief of police Jabulani Isaac Mapiyeye has been placed on precautionary suspension after “serious allegations" of misconduct, including sexual harassment and intimidation.

According to the City of Ekurhuleni, Mapiyeye was served with the letter of suspension on Wednesday.

City spokesperson Zweli Dlamini said in a special meeting held early this month, the council authorised the city manager to follow procedures in dealing with the matter. “The council further authorised the city manager to appoint an independent investigator to conduct an investigation into these allegations that the council ‘deemed to be serious in nature’,” he said.

Dlamini said the council resolved thatthe accounting officer will submit the report to the council and findings against Mapiyeye within 30 days of the appointment of an .

Dlamini said an independent investigator has also been appointed.

In 2023, forensic practitioner Calvin Rafadi sent a complaint to the Office of the Public Protector about allegations of gender-based violence, assault, defeating the ends of justice and corruption against Mapiyeye.

TimesLIVE has seen a letter where the Office of the Public Protector refers Rafadi’s complaint to the Independent Police Investigative Directorate.

In his complaint, Rafadi said he received an anonymous tip-off relating to allegations of abuse of authority by Mapiyeye. Assault charges were allegedly reported against him at the Kwa-Thema police station.

The charges come after an incident which involved Mapiyeye allegedly abusing a female employee of a security company contracted with the Ekurhuleni municipality to conduct operations at the KwaThema Metro Academy.

The heavily pregnant woman, who was guarding the site, was allegedly assaulted by Mapiyeye. She opened a case and later withdrew it due to alleged intimidation.

Rafadi said Mapiyeye also allegedly sexually harassed another woman after he went to her house. And it is also alleged that Mapiyeye was involved in a motor vehicle accident on May 25 2019. Allegedly, the official who attended the accident scene was allegedly instructed to do a breathalyser test on the driver of the other vehicle and not on Mapiyeye and recorded a 0.00 reading on Mapiyeye. 

Mapiyeye allegedly did not have a driver’s licence with him.

It is further alleged Mapiyeye is a director of three companies that he failed to declare to his employer, the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department (EMPD).

He is alleged to be involved in incidents of corruption which involve the registration of students at the EMPD Training College without following proper procedure because of bullying tactics and influential pressure he applied on officials of the college.

Last Friday, Mapiyeye appeared in the Brakpan magistrate’s court for the sexual harassment and intimidation matter, and the case was postponed until October 4.

Rafadi has welcomed Mapiyeye’s suspension. “We wish if there are any more women who have fallen victims of this scenario, whether by the chief or anybody in the department they must come forward, action should be taken and we will support them because we don't support this thing of women being abused in the EMPD,” he said.

TimesLIVE