Suspended Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department acting chief Julius Mkhwanazi is facing intense scrutiny after failing to provide clear details about a late night trip allegedly linked to a police operation that appears to have no official record.
While testifying at the Madlanga Commission, Mkhwanazi said he responded to a call at around 2am on 15 April 2022 from an informant about a recovered stolen truck. However, his account was challenged after it emerged that there was no record of the call, no documented operation, and no identified officer in charge.
Commission chair Mbuyiseli Madlanga dismissed Mkhwanazi’s explanation as implausible and directly accused him of being untruthful.
Mkhwanazi claimed he left the scene after realising members of the South African Police Service were involved and that he did not witness anything significant. This version was disputed by testimony from the late witness Marius Van der Merwe, who alleged that Mkhwanazi was present during the disposal of a body, an allegation he denies.
The case is linked to the death of Emmanuel Mbhense, who was arrested in April 2022 in connection with a robbery in Boksburg and later died in custody. His body was subsequently found dumped in a dam in Germiston.
Evidence leader Mahlape Sello questioned Mkhwanazi’s version of events, arguing that it was unlikely a senior officer would respond to a call at that hour simply to observe a successful operation. Co-commissioner Sesi Baloyi also raised concerns about the presence of EMPD vehicles at the scene that Mkhwanazi failed to explain.
The Independent Police Investigative Directorate has implicated police officers, metro police members, and private security personnel in Mbhense’s death and an alleged cover up. The inquiry remains ongoing.
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