Ekurhuleni metro police chief on precautionary suspension

The Ekurhuleni chief of police Jabulani 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 that 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 that the accounting officer would submit a report and findings against Mapiyeye within 30 days of the appointment of an independent investigator, who had 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.

Business Day 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 follow an incident in which Mapiyeye allegedly abused a female employee of a security company that has a contract with the Ekurhuleni municipality to guard 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 when he went to her house.

He was also allegedly involved in a motor vehicle accident on May 25 2019. An 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 also allegedly did not have a driver’s licence with him.

It is also alleged Mapiyeye is a director of three companies that he failed to declare to the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department (EMPD), his employer. He is also alleged to have bullied and used coercion during the registration of students at the EMPD Training 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 welcomed Mapiyeye’s suspension. “We wish if there are any more women who [are] 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.

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