-
On April 19, 2026, Kagiso Lerutla was arrested at OR Tambo International Airport.
-
He was detained at the Midrand police station.
-
Julius Mkhwanazi was arrested on April 18, 2026.
Advertisement -
Both Lerutla and Mkhwanazi face charges of fraud, corruption, and defeating the ends of justice.
-
On April 20, 2026, they were expected to appear in the Boksburg Magistrate’s Court.
-
Police confirmed the arrest of the two suspects.
-
The City of Ekurhuleni acknowledged the arrests and welcomed the action, stating they had been cooperating with investigators.
About Kagiso Lerutla (Ekurhuleni City Manager):
-
He is a qualified accountant who previously worked for the auditor-general.
-
Joined Ekurhuleni municipality in 2014 as divisional head of compliance and governance.
-
Appointed as Chief Financial Officer in 2019, then as City Manager in November (of the previous year).
-
In September 2023, he survived a mysterious shooting where his car was riddled with bullets; he sustained an injured hand.
-
He is currently charged with fraud and defeating the ends of justice (headline from second image).
-
A court appearance is pending (comment withheld until then).
About Mkhwanazi (mentioned in connection with vehicle registration irregularities):
-
Accused in 2022 of fitting blue lights to a fleet without city approval.
-
In 2023, Ipid (police watchdog) issued a negative report and ordered the city to discipline him.
-
Ipid found that four vehicles registered as City of Ekurhuleni vehicles between Jan 18–24, 2023, were later changed on the Enatis system to CAT VIP vehicles in March 2023, using city funds (~R2,218 for registration/licensing).
-
Ipid recommended disciplinary action against Mkhwanazi for lack of honesty/integrity.
-
The city ignored the recommendation, allegedly because he was protected by the former city manager, head of legal, and head of HR (all denied the allegations).
