Johannesburg – Suspended Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department deputy chief Julius Mkhwanazi has confirmed visiting the scene of a copper theft, while defending his controversial promotion and acknowledging errors in authorising documents linked to private vehicles fitted with blue lights.
Mkhwanazi, who was suspended last month after testimony at the Madlanga commission in Pretoria implicated him in multiple incidents, told the commission he was called by the Independent Police Investigative Directorate a day after returning to work on 24 May 2023. He was questioned about the blue lights scandal, a Brakpan murder, and the copper theft in Meyerton.
CCTV footage presented at the hearings reportedly showed Mkhwanazi and EMPD officers at the Meyerton site in August 2022, allegedly under the pretext of recovering stolen property. Witnesses claimed a robbery suspect in Brakpan was tortured before being dumped in a dam, and the same group of officers had been linked to the theft of R45 million worth of precious stones.
Mkhwanazi said he received a call from a police informant, Jaco Hanekom, in the early hours and drove to the scene for only two to three minutes. “I was there for the success of goods that he and his team got. He even said, ‘Bring the media,’ and I said, ‘I can’t just bring the media,’” Mkhwanazi told the commission. He confirmed that officers involved in the incidents were suspended and later reinstated.
Addressing questions about his December 2023 appointment as deputy chief, Mkhwanazi denied claims that he had skipped a competency assessment and received an extra R200 000 in salary. He said he passed the test, received confirmation of the results, and was formally appointed by EMPD chief Isaac Mapiyeye.
Regarding the blue lights controversy, Mkhwanazi admitted that proposed agreements with private companies, including Cat VIP Protection Services and Medicare24, could have allowed vehicles to display blue lights, but insisted he did not formally approve the documents. He said authorisation would require approval from the minister of police.
Mkhwanazi also denied signing a 2021 letter stating the EMPD would maintain an “endless working relationship” with Cat VIP, saying he only became aware of it on social media. He acknowledged he did not have authority to sign the agreement and accepted full responsibility.
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