EMPD deputy chief back in Johannesburg court on precious stones charge

Suspended Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department deputy chief Julius Mkhwanazi was back in the Johannesburg Magistrates’ Court on Friday morning, in the case involving precious stones.

The appearance follows a decision in a separate matter earlier this week, in which Mkhwanazi and five co-accused were denied bail in the Mbense murder case. He remains suspended from his post at the metro police.

Two matters, one accused

Mkhwanazi’s name now sits on two court rolls at the same time. The precious stones case returned to the Johannesburg Magistrates’ Court on 18 September. The Mbense murder matter, in which he appears alongside five others, produced a bail refusal days before.

Both cases are before the courts, and both are at an early stage. The bail ruling in the Mbense matter means the six accused remain in custody while that case proceeds.

What the record shows

The precious stones matter concerns the possession and handling of precious stones, a charge that falls under South African law governing the trade and custody of unpolished diamonds and other precious minerals. The state’s case in that matter is being run through the Johannesburg Magistrates’ Court.

No plea has been recorded in either matter on the information available. The bail refusal in the Mbense case is a finding on flight risk and the strength of the state’s case as the court assessed it, not a finding of guilt.

The consequence for the metro and its residents

Ekurhuleni is one of the country’s largest metros, and the EMPD is its uniformed enforcement arm, responsible for traffic policing, bylaw enforcement and a substantial share of day to day public safety work across the East Rand. A deputy chief facing criminal proceedings in two matters leaves a gap in that command structure.

Mkhwanazi’s suspension means the metro has already moved to separate him from operational command while the cases run. That is the standard step, and it protects both the institution and the accused.

For residents of Ekurhuleni, the practical question is who now carries the duties that sat with the deputy chief, and whether the metro’s enforcement work continues without interruption. The EMPD has continued to operate across the metro’s townships and industrial belt through the period of the suspension.

What happens next

The precious stones matter will return to the Johannesburg Magistrates’ Court on a date set by the court, with Mkhwanazi’s legal representatives expected to engage the state on the way forward. The Mbense murder matter continues with the six accused in custody, and any application to revisit bail would be brought before that court.

Source: SABC News (website), LIVE | Julius Mkhwanazi’s precious stones case