Johannesburg – Ahead of the court appearance, the Democratic Alliance (DA) has identified the second senior official from the City of Ekurhuleni who was arrested at the weekend as City Manager Kagiso Lerutla.
The city manager was arrested yesterday, Sunday, 19 April 2026, but police did not name him.
A day earlier, on Saturday, 18 April 2026, police announced the arrest of a senior official from the same municipality but did not mention any name.
However, media reports identified the arrested official as Julius Mkhwanazi, the suspended deputy commissioner of the Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department.
Mkhwanazi and Lerulta are expected to appear in Boksburg Magistrate’s Court today, Monday, 20 April 2026.
A few DA members carrying placards demanding immediate action against the accused have gathered outside the court.
Commenting on the matter, the DA called on Ekurhuleni Executive Mayor Xhakaza “to suspend the arrested City Manager Kagiso Lerutla after his arrest on Sunday”.
DA Ekurhuleni Mayoral Candidate, Khathutshelo Rasilingwane, said Xhakaza must dismiss Lerutla should he be found guilty.
“Despite warnings from the DA about his performance in his previous position as Group CFO, where he was responsible for the City’s financial performance, the ANC & EFF coalition of chaos saw fit to thrust him into the City’s most senior position,” Rasilingwane said.
“The arrest of a major Metro City Manager, put into office by the EFF & ANC is deeply embarrassing for them. And it clearly shows how rotten the coalition is in Ekurhuleni.”
Rasilingwane added: “The city cannot continue to be led by someone who is potentially implicated in criminal activity. He must be suspended immediately”.
