The Madlanga Commission of Inquiry has heard many shocking testimonies since it began its work probing corruption and misconduct within Gauteng’s metropolitan police departments. But what unfolded on Thursday morning may be the most explosive allegation yet.
Suspended Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department (EMPD) Deputy Chief Julius Mkhwanazi — already facing questions over his alleged involvement in the dumping of Emmanuel Mbense’s body — has now been accused of something even more staggering: ordering two of his own officers to carry out an armed robbery involving precious stones worth nearly R15 million.
The allegation, delivered under oath by a witness whose identity has been protected by the commission due to safety concerns, painted a picture of a senior law enforcement officer who had allegedly crossed the line from policing crime to orchestrating it.
“Mkhwanazi did not just know about the robbery,” the witness testified, their voice distorted by the commission’s voice-modulation system. “He planned it. He ordered it. He told his men exactly where to go, what to take, and how to cover it up afterwards. This was not a rogue operation. This was a command from the top.”
The commission chamber, packed with journalists, legal representatives, and members of the public, fell into a stunned silence. Mkhwanazi, seated in the witness section alongside his legal team, shook his head slowly but said nothing.
The alleged heist: A targeted operation
According to the testimony, the alleged robbery took place in March 2024 at a warehouse in Kempton Park, on the East Rand. The target was a shipment of precious stones — including rough diamonds, emeralds, and sapphires — that had been imported from a mining operation in the Democratic Republic of Congo and was being temporarily stored before being transported to a cutting and polishing facility in Johannesburg.
The witness, described by commission chairperson Advocate Tembeka Madlanga as a “former EMPD officer with direct knowledge of the events,” testified that Mkhwanazi summoned two officers from the EMPD’s tactical response unit to a private meeting at a restaurant in Boksburg.
“He told them that there was a ‘score’ that needed to be collected,” the witness said. “Those were his exact words: ‘a score.’ He said the stones were ‘uninsured’ and ‘off the books’ and that no one would come looking for them. He promised them R2 million each for their participation.”
The two officers, whose names have been submitted to the commission but not yet publicly released, allegedly carried out the robbery three days later. Dressed in plain clothes but using EMPD-issued firearms and a vehicle with false license plates, they reportedly forced their way into the warehouse, subdued two security guards, and made off with a safe containing the precious stones.
The total value of the stolen stones, according to an affidavit submitted by the importing company’s representative, was R14.7 million.
The cover-up: A police report that never was
Perhaps most damning, the witness testified, was what happened after the robbery. The victim company reported the heist to the South African Police Service (SAPS) within hours. But according to the witness, Mkhwanazi allegedly used his position to ensure that the EMPD did not assist in the investigation — and may have actively obstructed it.
“He called the station commander at Kempton Park SAPS and told them that the EMPD had ‘credible intelligence’ that the robbery was an inside job by the security company, not an external heist,” the witness testified. “That was a lie. He was trying to point the investigation in the wrong direction.”
The SAPS detective assigned to the case, who has since been promoted and was not named in the testimony, reportedly accepted Mkhwanazi’s claim and did not pursue leads that might have implicated the EMPD officers. The case remains unsolved.
The witness further testified that one of the two officers involved later confided in a colleague — the witness’s informant — that Mkhwanazi had personally taken possession of the stones and had “already sold them to a buyer in Dubai.”
“Mkhwanazi kept the lion’s share,” the witness said. “The two officers got their R2 million each. The rest disappeared. No one knows where the money is now.”
Mkhwanazi’s defense: ‘A complete fabrication’
When given the opportunity to respond, Mkhwanazi did not hold back. His voice, which had been measured during earlier testimony about the Mbense body-dumping allegations, rose with visible anger.
“This is a complete fabrication,” he told the commission, gripping the edges of the witness stand. “I have never ordered anyone to commit a robbery. I have never possessed or sold precious stones. I have never obstructed an investigation. This witness is lying. Someone has paid them to destroy me.”
Mkhwanazi’s legal counsel, advocate Lindiwe Nxumalo, argued that the witness had a motive to falsify testimony. According to documents submitted to the commission, the witness was himself under investigation for internal misconduct at the EMPD at the time of the alleged robbery.
“This is a desperate man trying to save himself by smearing a senior officer,” Nxumalo said. “He has offered no evidence — no recordings, no documents, no corroboration. Only words. And words, as this commission knows, are not proof.”
Commission chairperson Madlanga noted the objection but allowed the testimony to stand, stating that “credibility assessments will be made in due course” and that “all witnesses are entitled to be heard.”
The missing stones: A cold trail
The commission has issued a formal request to the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (the Hawks) to provide any records related to the Kempton Park robbery. According to sources within the Hawks, the case file remains open but has been classified as “cold” due to lack of leads.
“We have no evidence linking any EMPD officer to that robbery,” a Hawks official told local media on condition of anonymity. “But we also have no evidence excluding them. If the commission provides new information, we will reopen the investigation with urgency.”
The importing company, which has since ceased operations in South Africa due to what its owner called “security concerns,” has not responded to requests for comment. The two security guards who were on duty the night of the robbery have reportedly returned to their home country of Zimbabwe and cannot be located.
A pattern of allegations
The armed robbery allegation is the second major bombshell to hit Mkhwanazi at the Madlanga Commission. Earlier this month, he was forced to deny involvement in the alleged dumping of Emmanuel Mbense’s body — an accusation that drew national attention and prompted the commission to expand its terms of reference.
Mkhwanazi has denied all allegations and has not been charged with any crime. He remains suspended from the EMPD on full pay pending the commission’s final report, which is expected by the end of 2026.
But the cumulative weight of the testimony against him has raised serious questions about the culture within the EMPD’s senior leadership. Several former and current EMPD officers have now testified about what they describe as a “culture of impunity” in which senior officers were able to operate above the law.
“You have to understand the power that someone like Mkhwanazi had,” said a former EMPD captain who testified earlier in the commission but has since resigned. “He could make your career or break it. He could transfer you to a remote post. He could deny you overtime pay. He could have you investigated for corruption. People were afraid to cross him. That is why so many people kept quiet for so long.”
The EMPD’s response: ‘Deeply concerned’
The Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality, which oversees the EMPD, issued a brief statement following the day’s testimony.
“The municipality has noted the serious allegations made before the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry regarding a senior EMPD officer,” the statement read. “We are deeply concerned by these claims and will cooperate fully with the commission’s investigation. The EMPD remains committed to rooting out corruption and criminality within its ranks.”
Critics have pointed out that the municipality has known about the allegations against Mkhwanazi for months — the commission has been sitting since early 2025 — and has taken no action beyond his initial suspension.
“How many more witnesses need to testify before someone is arrested?” asked Paul Berkowitz, a forensic investigator who has followed the commission’s proceedings closely. “We are talking about allegations of armed robbery. Of precious stones worth R15 million. Of a senior police officer acting like a crime lord. Where is the Hawks? Where is the National Prosecuting Authority? Where is the urgency?”
What comes next
The Madlanga Commission is expected to hear further testimony from additional witnesses over the coming weeks, including, potentially, the two EMPD officers who allegedly carried out the robbery. Their identities remain unknown, but the commission has issued subpoenas for their testimony.
Mkhwanazi’s legal team has indicated that they will seek to have the armed robbery allegations struck from the record on the grounds that they are “irrelevant” to the commission’s original terms of reference. Commission chairperson Madlanga has not yet ruled on that application.
In the meantime, Mkhwanazi remains free. He has not been arrested. He has not been charged. He continues to draw his salary. And the R15 million worth of precious stones — if they ever existed, if they were ever stolen — have not been recovered.
A commission under pressure
The Madlanga Commission was established in 2024 to investigate allegations of corruption, tender fraud, and misconduct within Gauteng’s three metropolitan police departments: the EMPD, the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD), and the Tshwane Metropolitan Police Department (TMPD). It has since expanded its scope to include the Mbense body-dumping case and, now, the alleged armed robbery.
Commission chairperson Madlanga has faced criticism from some quarters for the slow pace of proceedings and the reluctance to refer witnesses for criminal prosecution. But supporters argue that the commission’s mandate is to uncover the truth, not to prosecute — and that truth-telling is a necessary precursor to accountability.
“The commission cannot arrest anyone,” said legal analyst Nthabiseng Mokoena. “It can only gather evidence and make recommendations. If the evidence is as strong as it appears, the recommendations will be clear: refer Mkhwanazi and others for criminal prosecution. The question is whether the NPA and the Hawks will act.”
The view from Ekurhuleni
In the townships of Ekurhuleni, where the EMPD is often the only visible symbol of state authority, the allegations against Mkhwanazi have been met with a mixture of anger and weary resignation.
“We are not surprised,” said Thabo Molefe, a resident of Vosloorus who runs a small spaza shop. “The police here are not our protectors. They are our oppressors. They take bribes. They steal. They beat us. And now we hear they are also robbers? It is too much. But what can we do? Who do we report them to? They are the ones we would report to. There is no one above them.”
Others have been more cautious, warning against condemning Mkhwanazi before all the evidence is heard.
“He is entitled to the presumption of innocence,” said advocate Nxumalo outside the commission. “My client has served this country for over 30 years. He has an unblemished record. He is being destroyed by anonymous witnesses with hidden agendas. That is not justice. That is a witch hunt.”
A test for South African justice
The Mkhwanazi case — both the Mbense body-dumping allegations and now the armed robbery claims — has become a test of whether South Africa’s institutions can hold powerful law enforcement officers accountable. If the commission’s findings lead to criminal charges and convictions, it will be a landmark moment. If they do not — if the allegations fade into the bureaucratic ether — it will be a devastating verdict on the state’s ability to police its own police.
For now, the commission continues. The witnesses keep talking. The lawyers keep arguing. And Julius Mkhwanazi — suspended, accused, but not yet convicted — keeps his silence outside the courtroom.
The precious stones, if they ever existed, are long gone. But the truth, elusive as it may be, is still somewhere in the shadows. The Madlanga Commission is determined to bring it into the light. Whether that light leads to justice — or merely to more darkness — remains to be seen.
One thing is certain: the allegation that a deputy police chief ordered an armed robbery is not the kind of headline that fades quickly. It will follow Mkhwanazi for the rest of his life, whatever the commission ultimately finds.
And for the people of Ekurhuleni, who have learned to expect little from those sworn to protect them, the story is sadly familiar. The police are supposed to catch the robbers. Not become them.
About The Author
