The City of Ekurhuleni on Friday, 18 September, pulled the plug on the tenure of Deputy Chief of Police Julius Mkhwanazi, whose conduct has come under sustained scrutiny in both criminal proceedings and before the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry into Alleged Criminality, Political Interference and Corruption in the Criminal Justice System.
The City said his termination followed consideration of its internal disciplinary processes, the criminal matters against him and the evidence placed before the commission.
Mkhwanazi, who was responsible for operations and specialised services at the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department (EMPD), was suspended on 11 November 2025. This was in line with the recommendations of an internal audit investigation into allegations of misconduct, the City said. The City leadership closely monitored the serious allegations emerging from the Madlanga Commission, it added.
The timing of Mkhwanazi’s firing is significant. The decision came a day after the first anniversary of the Madlanga Commission, when its chair, Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga, delivered his starkest assessment yet of the evidence before the inquiry – warning that allegations heard by the commission, if established, would point to the infiltration of state institutions and criminality within South Africa’s criminal justice system.
Precious stones heist
The City’s announcement that it had fired Mkhwanazi came after his appearance with co-accused Keisha-Leigh Stols, Adrian Mackenzie and Kgomotso Makhuba earlier on Friday in the Johannesburg Magistrates’ Court in connection with the alleged theft in Killarney in 2023 of precious stones worth R14-million, one of five separate criminal cases he currently faces.
At the commission, Mkhwanazi’s name has become a recurring thread in evidence concerning the EMPD, with witnesses raising a litany of allegations involving members of the metro police.
A number of the allegations relate to an unlawful memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the metro police department and Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala’s company, CAT VIP Protection Services.
In his evidence before the commission in November 2025, suspended EMPD Chief Jabulani Isaac Mapiyeye testified that the MOU was fraudulent and that the then Brigadier Mkhwanazi did not have the requisite authority to conclude any MOU on behalf of the City.
Murder case adds to City decision
Mkhwanazi’s continued incarceration after being denied bail in a murder case also weighed on the City’s decision. It raised concerns about his prolonged unavailability and whether the internal disciplinary proceedings could be concluded within a reasonable period.
Mkhwanazi and his five co-accused were denied bail in the Brakpan Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, 15 September, in connection with a case in which they face charges of murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances and defeating the ends of justice.
The accused are Mkhwanazi, former EMPD official Stols, suspended EMPD officer Mackenzie, private security company owner Cobus Janse van Rensburg, and police officers Bhekokwakhe Sibande and Juan Maree Eksteen. They have been charged with the murder of Brakpan businessman Emmanuel Mbense.
The murder case is closely intertwined with the commission’s own investigation.
It was the killing of Marius van der Merwe, who testified anonymously before the commission as “Witness D”, that put Mkhwanazi under renewed scrutiny. Van der Merwe’s evidence implicated the suspended EMPD deputy chief in allegations surrounding the murder.
Van der Merwe was killed on 5 December 2025 after giving evidence to the commission.
His death added a particularly grave dimension to the inquiry’s examination of alleged criminal networks operating in and around law enforcement, and placed Mkhwanazi among the officials whose conduct has come under scrutiny in the criminal courts and before the commission.
HR head said to shield Mkhwanazi
More damaging evidence concerning Mkhwanazi emerged in November 2025, when former Ekurhuleni head of employee relations Xolani Nciza testified that repeated attempts to suspend the senior police commander were allegedly thwarted by interference from top management.
Nciza’s evidence raised questions about why disciplinary action against Mkhwanazi had repeatedly failed, despite concerns about his conduct and the allegations swirling around him.
Drawn into this drama was Linda Gxasheka, Ekurhuleni’s suspended head of human resources, who, according to Mapiyeye’s testimony, helped to shield Mkhwanazi from disciplinary action.
On Thursday, 26 February 2026, appearing before the commission, she denied allegations that she had usurped the powers of suspended Mapiyeye. She stated: “I refute the allegations that I supported or participated in the usurpation of powers.”
City ‘suffers reputational damage’
Multiple law enforcement and criminal justice officials have been suspended, dismissed and criminally charged following evidence presented at the Madlanga Commission. Mkhwanazi’s firing highlights how the commission is having an impact before its even finished its work.
In a statement on Friday, City Manager Kagiso Lerutla said the decision followed careful consideration of a detailed submission from the City’s human resources department, the internal disciplinary processes instituted against Mkhwanazi, evidence placed before the commission and the cumulative effect of the criminal matters involving him on the employment relationship.
“The City considered, among other factors, the seriousness of the matters, Mr Mkhwanazi’s seniority within the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department, the connection between the allegations and his official responsibilities, and the resulting impact on the integrity and reputation of the municipality,” the City said. DM
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Facts Only
* The City of Ekurhuleni terminated the tenure of Deputy Chief of Police Julius Mkhwanazi on Friday, September 18.
* Mkhwanazi was suspended on November 11, 2025, following an internal audit investigation into misconduct.
* The termination followed consideration of internal disciplinary processes, criminal matters, and evidence from the Madlanga Commission.
* Mkhwanazi appeared in the Johannesburg Magistrates’ Court regarding alleged theft of precious stones worth R14 million in Killarney in 2023.
* Mkhwanazi and five co-accused faced charges related to the murder of Brakpan businessman Emmanuel Mbense, robbery with aggravating circumstances, and defeating the ends of justice.
* Mkhwanazi was denied bail in a murder case on September 15, 2025.
* Evidence before the commission involved allegations regarding an unlawful memorandum of understanding (MOU) with CAT VIP Protection Services.
* Former EMPD Chief Jabulani Isaac Mapiyeye testified that the MOU was fraudulent and Mkhwanazi lacked the authority to conclude it.
* The evidence related to the killing of Marius van der Merwe, who testified anonymously as “Witness D” before the commission, implicated Mkhwanazi.
* Former employee relations head Xolani Nciza testified about attempts to suspend senior police commanders being thwarted by top management interference.
Executive Summary
The City of Ekurhuleni terminated the tenure of Deputy Chief of Police Julius Mkhwanazi following internal disciplinary processes, criminal matters, and evidence from the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry. Mkhwanazi was suspended on November 11, 2025, based on an internal audit investigation into misconduct. The decision occurred shortly after Justice Mbuyiseli Madlanga delivered a significant assessment regarding the commission's findings about potential infiltration of state institutions within the criminal justice system.
This action followed legal proceedings where Mkhwanazi appeared in Johannesburg court concerning alleged theft and murder cases, including a case involving precious stones worth R14 million from 2023. Evidence presented before the commission implicated Mkhwanazi concerning an unlawful memorandum of understanding with a private security company. Furthermore, his continued incarceration for a murder case factored into the City's decision, as did evidence suggesting attempts to shield him from prior disciplinary action by senior management. The City Manager cited the seriousness of the matters and the impact on municipal integrity as factors in the termination.
Full Take
The narrative presents a convergence of institutional failure, personal accountability, and systemic opacity within law enforcement structures. The decision to dismiss Mkhwanazi is framed not solely as a response to individual misconduct but as an attempt by the municipal entity to manage severe reputational risk stemming from a broader, ongoing investigation into potential corruption within the criminal justice system itself. The interplay between the internal disciplinary track, the external criminal courts, and the Madlanga Commission suggests that accountability mechanisms are fragmented, with internal processes being leveraged concurrently with public scrutiny.
A significant pattern emerges in how evidence is sequenced: the most damning assessment from the commission arrives just before the termination, suggesting an attempt to align administrative action with a public narrative of systemic criminality. The involvement of individuals like Linda Gxasheka and Mapiyeye introduces layers of institutional protection, indicating that administrative decisions are influenced by internal political dynamics rather than purely objective fact-finding. The link between Mkhwanazi’s status and the investigation into criminal networks (such as the murder case involving Van der Merwe) suggests that the inquiry may be less about isolated police misconduct and more about the penetration of state institutions, which the commissioner himself warned about.
The central tension lies in whether the termination serves genuine accountability or functions as damage control for a larger institutional crisis. If the emphasis remains on managing the "integrity and reputation of the municipality," it risks obscuring the true scope of the allegations concerning systemic criminality suggested by the commission's findings. Further inquiry must explore the sequence and influence between the internal investigation, the criminal proceedings, and the public acknowledgment to determine whether the outcome reflects a genuine commitment to justice or a strategic attempt at narrative containment.
Bridge Questions:
What specific mechanisms were in place to ensure that evidence from the Madlanga Commission was fully integrated into the employment decision process? How do the documented instances of alleged interference by HR officials change the assessment of internal disciplinary integrity? If the systemic criminality is the primary focus, what long-term institutional reforms are necessary beyond personnel changes to address the underlying vulnerabilities in the criminal justice system?