Mkhwanazi accused of being 'untruthful' about recalling alleged torture of suspect

Suspended Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department (EMPD) deputy chief Julius Mkhwanazi has been accused of being “untruthful” regarding his recollection of an incident where a suspect was allegedly tortured to death.

In April 2022, Emmanuel Mbhense was captured by South African Police Service (SAPS) and EMPD officers in connection with an armed robbery that took place in Boksburg.

However, Mbhense was later killed, with his body dumped at a dam in Germiston.

The late Witness D, whose real name was Marius Van der Merwe, testified at the Madlanga Commission that Mkhwanazi ordered that the body be disposed of.

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On 14 April 2022, Mkhwanazi said he received a call at 2am from one of his informants, Jaco Hannekom.

He said he was told that Hannekom and his team had recovered a stolen truck.

Mkhwanazi said he went to the scene, and after seeing SAPS vehicles, he left since it was not an EMPD operation.

However, evidence leader Mpahlele Sello challenged Mkhwanazi on this version since EMPD officers and vehicles were present on the scene.

“You could not have conceivably woken up at 2am in the morning when you are due for work the following day, just to go see the alleged success (of recovering the stolen truck). You are not being truthful in that regard as to the reason why you went there.”

Said Mkhwanazi: “For the mere fact I said it’s a success, that means if it was an operation of EMPD. That means we were going to celebrate it as a success, but it was not an EMPD success. That’s why it was not even booked in our successes.”

Co-commissioner Sesi Baloyi said it’s unlikely Mkhwanazi, as a senior EMPD officer, would not have inquired about the presence of EMPD vehicles on the scene.

The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) has implicated four SAPS officers, three EMPD officers and five private citizens (belonging to private security companies) behind the murder Mbhense, and the subsequent cover-up.