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I have been sexually harassed and still experiencing being captured under his power and control…I’m pleading with Mr Mapiyeye to please assist me to heal, my kids need me. I have been in and out of counselling and hospitalised in 2023 for major depression. – City of Ekurhuleni female employee

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Sizwe sama Yende

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Authorities in the City of Ekurhuleni and the ANC are allegedly protecting head of police, Isaac Mapiyeye, who continues with his duties even though a warrant of arrest has been issued against him for breaching conditions of a protection order.

The warrant of arrest against Mapiyeye was issued on August 13 in the Brakpan Magistrate’s Court following a complaint by the city’s female employee whom Mapiyeye allegedly sexually harassed for many years.

The City of Ekurhuleni council is yet to take a decision about the Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department’s (EMPD) head.

Executive mayor, Nkosindiphile Xhakaza, has, according to sources, angered the employee’s sympathisers when he gave an excuse not to attend a council meeting on Wednesday last week to discuss the allegations against Mapiyeye and paradoxically attended an event to curb gender-based violence in Kempton Park two days later, on August 30.

The ANC in Ekurhuleni region said in a media statement on August 29 that Xhakaza and his mayoral committee should bring the matter before council without “undue interference and influence” after they had been properly briefed.

MATTER WILL BE TABLED IN COUNCIL

ANC Ekurhuleni Regional Task Team co-ordinator, Jongizizwe Dlabathi, said: “Subject to the outstanding briefing to being undertaken on the issue, the matter will accordingly be brought to council.  The ANC is of the view that the political authority of the mayoral committee should not be circumvented when dealing with matters that warrant its consideration, ownership, and accountability.”

The sympathisers believe that the ANC, just like the council, was deliberately moving at a snail’s pace with the intention to eventually protect Mapiyeye from facing internal disciplinary processes.

Xhakaza did not respond to written questions sent to him via WhatsApp.

City of Ekurhuleni spokesperson, Zweli Dlamini, said that the matter would be deliberated in council in seven days.

“Council sat on Wednesday (August 28) and the matter was deferred. We condemn any form of GBV (gender-based violence),” Dlamini said. He said that he was not aware of the warrant of arrest against Mapiyeye.

“That is a matter of the police to deal with,” Dlamini said.

BROKEN WOMAN

According to an affidavit that The People’s Eye has seen, the allegations against Mapiyeye include pestering a 40-year-old metro police department official for sex.

Mapiyeye allegedly started making romantic overtures to the then married woman in 2019. She claims that she agreed because she feared losing her job, but that decision eventually wrecked her marriage.

“I am writing this as a broken woman in a crossroad of failure. Hopeless and embarassed, yet on my journey of healing,” she wrote.

“I have been sexually harassed and still experiencing being captured under his power and control…I’m pleading with Mr Mapiyeye to please assist me to heal, my kids need me. I have been in and out of counselling and hospitalised in 2023 for major depression.”

She said that after the failure of his marriage and trying to break off the shackles of her relationship with Mapiyeye, he continued victimising her in revenge.

Mapiyeye, according to her, changed her assigned vehicle to a lower model and when she had an opportunity in 2015 to report to work in another department, he tried sabotaging her.

She said that in 2017, Mapiyeye instructed her to work in research and compliance. Then in 2023, he resumed sexually harassing her when she thought she was on track to her recovery.

“He touched me inappropriately without my consent,” she said. This incident led to her being admitted in hospital for depression.

PROVE LOYALTY

Mapiyeye, she said, also moved to an estate where she stayed and one evening called her to his private car. She obliged because she is expected to work after hours when called to.

The police chief was allegedly intoxicated and drove with her to buy alcohol. He allegedly touched her private parts and told her he still loved her. “We left the pub, and I took his keys to drive because he was too drunk. He touched me again as we were driving. I told him to stop and contact me only if it was work-related,” she said.

The second incident happened in November 2023. Mapiyeye went to her house and requested that they park his car in the garage to talk. She said that he did not let him inside his house because he was inebriated, and her children were there.

Mapiyeye allegedly delivered news that there would be new posts advertised in 2024 and wanted to promote her. “He kissed me and touched my private parts inside of his car. I told him to stop. He stopped and said that he wanted to promote me, but he saw that I could not prove my loyalty to him.”

She said that she applied when the new posts were advertised and was told that she passed the interview as superintendent, but Mapiyeye allegedly blocked her appointment and said she must be appointed as an inspector – a lower rank – instead.

“I am appointed as inspector like he said. When I look at my inspector rank, it is a constant reminder that I did not submit,” she said.