By Doreen Mokgolo
Ekurhuleni has asked city manager Imogen Mashazi to investigate claims of sexual harassment against Isaac Mapiyeye, the chief of the metro’s police department.
At a special meeting on Friday, the council decided that Mashazi must hire an independent investigator to examine the claims and report the findings to the council within 30 days.
The council emphasised that the investigation should be fair and respect both the police chief and the victims making the allegations.
A 40-year-old metro police officer was the first to complain and went to the Brakpan Family Court to request a court order to stop Mapiyeye from contacting her. The court postponed the case to 20 September.
In her police report, the officer said the harassment began in October 2023 and continued after she refused to sleep with Mapiyeye in exchange for a promotion.
She reported the case to the police on 4 July and lodged a complaint with her department on 12 July, requesting that he be stopped from contacting her.
The officer is currently suffering from depression and anxiety and has been admitted to hospital.
A second victim, a metro general worker, also filed a case against Mapiyeye at the Kwa-Thema police station on 30 August.
In her police statement, the 40-year-old victim said: “It is my submission that the case I was forced to withdraw be opened and investigated to the law’s full ability. If possible, conviction [should] be a verdict.”
Mashazi stated that Mapiyeye cannot be suspended as the investigation has just started.
“These are still only allegations, so we must protect both the victim and the accused,” she said.
ActionSA’s Siyanda Makhubo commented: “We believe the police chief should be suspended while the investigation is happening. The council hired him, and the council should decide if he should be dismissed.”
Pictured above: Ekurhuleni metro police chief Isaac Mapiyeye.
Source: The City of Ekurhuleni/Facebook
