Shocking allegations of torture, murder and an attempted cover-up have emerged at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry, where a key witness testified that suspended Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department (EMPD) acting chief, Brigadier Julius Mkhwanazi, ordered the disposal of a suspect’s body to conceal a killing.
The witness, known as Witness D, delivered part of his testimony in-camera on Friday. He recounted events from 15 April 2022, when he was repeatedly contacted by security company owner Kobus Janse van Rensburg to assist in what was described as a joint operation at the home of a Brakpan robbery suspect. Although he was caring for his ill son at the time, he eventually agreed to join the team.
When he arrived, he said he encountered a troubling mix of individuals: EMPD officers allegedly linked to Mkhwanazi, two SAPS members whose presence raised suspicions, and Jaco Hanekom, whom he characterised as a disreputable police informer. He told the commission he voiced concern immediately, as several of those present were long associated with criminal behaviour.
According to his account, the suspect was apprehended and reportedly admitted to being involved in a warehouse break-in. Witness D said the man pleaded with officers not to assault him and even offered a R500 000 bribe. Instead, he was dragged into a room where officers conducted a search that uncovered forensic bags, ammunition, dockets and various tools believed to be linked to other crimes.
The situation escalated when Witness D said he witnessed officers torturing the suspect, suffocating him with a plastic bag in a method commonly referred to as “tubing”, while another officer fetched water. When he later asked whether the suspect had disclosed the location of the stolen goods, an officer allegedly responded that the man would “never talk again.”
Panic followed as the group sought to stage a false scene. Witness D claimed officers searched for a firearm to plant on the body, and one member suggested contacting a crime intelligence leader to “fix” the situation. Hanekom allegedly remarked that “the chief” would manage any fallout.
These claims align with earlier testimony from retired EMPD deputy chief Revo Spies, who told the commission last week that Mkhwanazi had previously been summoned by his own SWAT team to assist in covering up a murder scene in Brakpan.
Witness D said that when Mkhwanazi arrived wearing a dark tracksuit, he issued a clear instruction: the body had to be removed and disposed of, preferably in a mineshaft or dam. He then reportedly looked directly at Witness D, who had driven to the scene in his bakkie.
Fearing for his life, the witness said he followed the order, loaded the body onto his vehicle and dumped it partially submerged in Nigel Dam. The identity of the deceased remains unknown.
After the incident, some officers allegedly gathered for drinks while Witness D went home and burned the clothes he had worn. When he later returned to the dam with Van Rensburg, unmarked police vehicles were already on-site.
He eventually reported the incident to the Hawks and the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID). Officers cautioned him that those implicated were extremely dangerous. Witness D told the commission he remains afraid, warning that unchecked criminality within policing structures poses a severe threat to public trust.
The commission will continue hearing evidence next week.
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