Suspended Ekurhuleni HR head returns to Madlanga Commission

The City of Ekurhuleni Municipality’s suspended head of human resources, Linda Gxasheka, is expected to face a grilling at the Madlanga Commission as she returns for her second day of testimony.

Previous witnesses have testified at the commission that Gxasheka was part of a clique of senior officials within the metro who shielded corruption-accused metro police deputy chief Julius Mkhwanazi from accountability.

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In 2023, the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) recommended the municipality take disciplinary action against Mkhwanazi after he was found to have unlawfully entered the metro police department into an irregular contract with the security company of alleged crime boss Vusimuzi "Cat" Matlala.

However, despite the recommendation, no action was taken against Mkhwanazi.

Gxakeshe spent the first day of her testimony denying any and all allegations against her.

She denied being part of a clique that was shielding Mkhwanazi.

Gxakeshe further denied her salary increase was a loyalty bonus, interfering with the work of the metro police department and engineering the suspensions of people she didn’t see eye-to-eye with in the municipality.

One of those people is Xolani Nciza, the former divisional head of employee relations, who was suspended for allegedly having fake qualifications.

“As I’m testifying here, I am being persecuted here by the City of Ekurhuleni and Mr Nciza spent a lot of time on this matter. I am perceived as a very cruel person.”

Gxakesha continues her testimony on Friday morning.