Johannesburg - The Ekurhuleni metro police chief is facing a charge of murder.
Hlula Msimang was expected to appear in a Joburg court on Friday.
Independent Police Investigative Directorate spokesman Moses Dlamini confirmed the murder charge on Thursday, but would not provide any other details.
“We finished the investigation. Now it’s on the court roll,” said Dlamini, adding that the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) had decided to prosecute on the murder charge.
“It’s now in the hands of the NPA,” he said.
The NPA, asked for comment since Wednesday, could not provide any information.
The matter is understood to arise from a shooting incident a few months ago in Joburg.
This week, Msimang was still at his desk.
The Ekurhuleni metro police department would not comment, referring queries to the metro mayor’s office.
Mayoral spokesman Zweli Dlamini confirmed on Wednesday that there had been an incident.
“He’s at work. He has not been charged with anything,” he said.
Moses Dlamini couldn’t say why Msimang wasn’t suspended.
“We do the criminal investigation. The issues of suspension, the metro police deal with,” he said.
Msimang could not be reached for comment.
Msimang is a former chief of police in Tshwane and replaced Robert McBride as Ekurhuleni police chief in 2009.
Meanwhile, McBride had his appeal against his drunk driving and defeating the ends of justice conviction postponed indefinitely by the Pretoria High Court.
McBride is also appealing against a subsequent five-year imprisonment sentence. - The Star