Suspended EMPD Deputy Chief Julius Mkhwanazi Faces Murder Charges in Emmanuel Mbense Case

Suspended EMPD Deputy Chief Faces Scrutiny in Brakpan Court Over Emmanuel Mbense Murder

Suspended Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department Deputy Chief Julius Mkhwanazi and five co-accused appeared before the Brakpan Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, 8 September 2026, as high-stakes bail proceedings continued. The state has placed Mkhwanazi under intense scrutiny regarding his alleged role in the 2022 torture and murder of businessman Emmanuel Mbense, centering on a chilling remark made at the crime scene.

Along with Mkhwanazi, the accused list features private security boss Cobus Janse van Rensburg, EMPD member Adrian MacKenzie, former EMPD worker Keisha-Leigh Stols, alongside former police officers Juan-Maré Eksteen and Bhekokwakhe Sibande. They face grave charges including murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances, and defeating or obstructing the administration of justice.

The tragedy originated on 9 March 2022, when a lucrative warehouse robbery in Brakpan linked a truck belonging to Mbense to stolen copper worth an estimated R5 million. According to an Independent Police Investigative Directorate probe, a heavily armed contingent of more than 10 individuals—comprising South African Police Service members, EMPD officers, and private security personnel—descended on Mbense’s home on 14 April 2022. They found him resting before ransacking the property and interrogating him about the missing copper stock.

State prosecutor Nceba Ntelwa detailed how the interrogation quickly escalated into brutal torture and assault. The state argues that the powerful illicit incentive driving the operation was a promised 10% cut of the multi-million-rand copper haul. When the victim could not produce the goods, the situation turned fatal. According to evidence presented in court, Mbense’s lifeless body was subsequently dumped at Spaarwater Dam in Duduza, Nigel, allegedly on Mkhwanazi’s direct instruction.

The prosecution’s case gained severe momentum due to a haunting phrase allegedly uttered when Mkhwanazi arrived at the scene. According to Ntelwa, one of the participants addressed the senior officer directly:

“When he arrived to see for himself that indeed the deceased was in no condition to disclose the whereabouts of the copper stock, one of the participants told him that ‘chief, it’s that time again’.”

Ntelwa challenged the court to weigh the chilling implications of that exchange. “The question remains: what does the remark ‘chief, it’s that time again’ mean? And it does not look like he was surprised to be called for a dead man.” Without hesitation, the state alleges, Mkhwanazi ordered the disposal of the body in full view of the assembled participants. Afterward, the group allegedly convened at Carnival City to enforce a strict code of silence, sealing their pact with a threat of death for anyone who dared betray the conspiracy.

Shadows of Intimidation and the Evolving State Case

The quest for justice regarding Mbense has been fraught with terror, threats, and unexplained fatalities, as the state highlighted during the Brakpan court hearings by exposing that four people linked to the inquiry—Jaco Hanekom, Raymond Mzwakhe Khoza, Wiandre Pretorius, and Marius “Witness D” van der Merwe—have died under various conditions.

Photo: europesays.com

Amid this climate of peril, the prosecution secured a vital breakthrough. Private security official Etienne van der Walt has turned state witness, breaking ranks with the accused. Furthermore, another key survivor who went into hiding out of fear has finally emerged to cooperate with authorities, providing crucial testimony that strengthens the state’s grip on the dock.

Defense teams face an uphill battle as they attempt to dismantle the state’s narrative while their clients maintain blanket denials of involvement in the torture and killing. Ntelwa pressed the core dilemma facing the defense during arguments, asking who among the group actually perpetrated the fatal assault while challenging the sheer logistics of their presence at the victim’s home after failing to secure their illicit prize.

As the Brakpan Magistrate’s Court continues to weigh the bail applications, the proceedings serve as a stark reminder of the rot that can take root when those sworn to uphold the law step over the line into criminality. The court is expected to rule on the bail bids as the deeper machinery of justice grinds forward, leaving a fractured community watching closely to see if accountability will finally prevail.