Ekurhuleni City Manager and Suspended Metro Police Deputy Granted R30,000 Bail in Corruption Case

Kagiso Lerutla and Julius Mkhwanazi granted R30,000 bail each after allegations of a R400,000 plot involving court impersonation in 2019.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 28, 2026, 6:05 AM EDT

Source: Information for this report was sourced from Eyewitness News

Bail Granted Following Bribery and Impersonation Scandal

The Boksburg Magistrates Court has granted bail to City Manager Kagiso Lerutla and suspended Ekurhuleni Deputy Metro Police Chief Julius Mkhwanazi. Each official was ordered to pay R30,000 to secure their release while facing serious charges of fraud, corruption, and defeating the ends of justice. The legal proceedings follow a high profile investigation into a 2019 scheme that allegedly allowed a senior city official to evade a direct court appearance through a paid surrogate.

Allegations of a R400,000 Courtroom Deception

The State’s case centers on a plot allegedly hatched five years ago involving Mkhwanazi’s driver, Thabang Tsotetsi. Prosecutors claim that Tsotetsi was paid R400,000 to impersonate Lerutla in a court of law. It is further alleged that this substantial sum was divided between the driver and Mkhwanazi as payment for facilitating the deception. This specific incident has become the cornerstone of the broader corruption investigation currently shaking the Ekurhuleni metropolitan administration.

Judicial Reasoning on Witness Interference Risks

During the bail ruling, Magistrate Emmanuel Magampa addressed the State’s primary concern regarding the potential for the accused to interfere with ongoing investigations or intimidate witnesses. The magistrate noted that such arguments cannot be considered in isolation and must be balanced against the constitutional rights of the accused. Consequently, the court found that the State did not provide sufficient grounds to keep the men in custody, provided they adhere to strict release conditions.