By: Saneliso Mlambo
Suspended Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department (EMPD) Deputy Chief, Brigadier Julius Mkhwanazi, has appeared in the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court for formal bail proceedings following his arrest by the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID). Mkhwanazi faces Schedule 6 charges for allegedly masterminding a R14.9-million precious stones heist in Killarney, Johannesburg.
The state alleges that Mkhwanazi orchestrated a robbery under the guise of an official police operation. His co-accused and former romantic partner a JMPD officer known as “Witness K” testified before the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry that the duo planned the heist due to financial strain. According to her testimony, they targeted high-grade sugilite and manganese stones, yielding individual payouts of R110,000. Mkhwanazi has denied the allegations, maintaining he believed the operation was a legitimate raid targeting online fraud and counterfeit stones.
While Mkhwanazi and Witness K remain in custody, other implicated officers have secured temporary freedom. EMPD officers Adrian MacKenzie and Kersha Leigh Stols are out on R5,000 bail, claiming they merely followed Mkhwanazi’s direct orders. Charges against businessman Etienne van der Walt have been formally withdrawn.
This robbery case is the third active criminal matter currently facing the suspended deputy chief. Mkhwanazi is also out on R30,000 bail in Boksburg, where he and Ekurhuleni Municipal Manager Kagiso Lerutla face charges of fraud and corruption. They allegedly paid an impersonator R400,000 to sit in court for Lerutla’s 2019 speeding charge so Lerutla could attend a job interview. Additionally, Mkhwanazi faces charges in Germiston for the “Blue Lights” scandal, where he is accused of unlawfully registering private luxury vehicles under municipal credentials to fit them with emergency lights.
The Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court is expected to rule on his latest bail application following final arguments from the state and the defence.