‘Two Minutes at the Scene’: EMPD’s Julius Mkhwanazi Fights Back Amid Scandal

‘Two Minutes at the Scene’: EMPD’s Julius Mkhwanazi Fights Back Amid Blue Lights and Copper Theft Scandal

Ekurhuleni’s metro police leadership has once again been thrust under a spotlight and not the blue kind this time. Suspended Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department (EMPD) deputy chief Julius Mkhwanazi has publicly defended himself before the Madlanga Commission, admitting he briefly visited a copper theft scene while pushing back against allegations linking him to a messy web of misconduct, questionable appointments, and controversial blue light arrangements.

It’s a saga that speaks to something larger happening in South Africa’s policing structures: shrinking public trust, corruption-linked whispers, and officers being promoted in the shadows instead of in front of flashing cameras.

From the Meyerton copper yard to the Brakpan murder scene, what Mkhwanazi admits

Mkhwanazi told the commission that after returning to duty in May 2023 following his first suspension tied to the blue lights scandal he was summoned by IPID and questioned about three incidents:

• the unauthorised blue lights on private vehicles,

• a Brakpan case where a robbery suspect later turned up dead,

• and a copper theft operation in Meyerton, outside EMPD jurisdiction.

He does not deny being at the copper theft scene but insists his involvement was limited.

“I drove there and spent two or three minutes. I was told they recovered goods. They even said bring the media I refused,” he testified.

CCTV footage previously placed him and EMPD officers at the site under the guise of recovering stolen goods, with allegations that copper was removed unlawfully.

This is where the story twists darkly: the informant behind the footage, Jaco Hanekom, was later murdered on the same day three EMPD officers involved in a kidnapping case got bail. Witness accounts suggest Hanekom once posed as an officer using a letter allegedly signed by Mkhwanazi.

The case evaporated in court when the victim couldn’t be found.

The blue lights scandal that refuses to die

At the heart of his troubles is the blue lights arrangement with tender entrepreneur Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala. IPID findings suggested Mkhwanazi unlawfully assisted Matlala in having private vehicles equipped with emergency lights.

He later acknowledged signing documents he shouldn’t have.

Questions deepened when a letter, allegedly bearing his signature surfaced online promising the EMPD an “endless working relationship” with Matlala’s company and listing high-end vehicles (BMWs, Mercedes-Benz, a Golf) intended for VIP protection use.

Mkhwanazi says he never signed the letter and only knew of a proposal to donate cars a donation that ultimately never materialised.

He admits he had no authority to enter MOUs with private entities.

“I accept 100%,” he told the commission.

Promotion drama: competence questioned, salary disputed

Mkhwanazi’s late-2023 promotion to deputy chief also forms part of the inquiry. Critics say he bypassed proper competency assessments and received a salary bump of R200,000, which he denies.

He insists he passed the required assessments, was informed officially, and was promoted by EMPD chief Isaac Mapiyeye a ceremony with no media present, just internal photographs.

Retired deputy chief Revo Spies claims otherwise, alleging Mkhwanazi took the insignia by force using only an appointment letter.

Adding fuel to suspicion, he wore his insignia before the formal ceremony.

A story of power, politics and an institution under strain

This inquiry has now become more than one man defending his name. It’s exposing how blurred the lines can become when authority meets influence, when private security companies mingle with public policing, and when promotions move faster than internal investigations.

On social media, frustration bubbles:

“How do officers get promoted while under investigation?”
“Blue lights are becoming a business in Gauteng.”

Many South Africans are numb to stories like this, but every new hearing chips further at the fragile trust between residents and those meant to protect them.

With the commission ongoing, accountability is still hanging in the air, much like the unanswered questions about copper, blue lights, and power inside EMPD ranks.

{Source: The Citizen}

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