The EMPD officer admitted that the pair had previously been involved in a romantic relationship.
Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department (EMPD) deputy chief Julius Mkhwanazi and Witness K appears in the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court on 19 July 2026. Picture: Nigel Sibanda/The Citizen
Suspended Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department (EMPD) deputy chief Julius Mkhwanazi has accused his former partner of fabricating evidence against him.
Mkhwanazi and a Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD) officer, known as Witness K, appeared in the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court on Monday, 20 July 2026 following their arrests three days earlier.
They join three others previously linked to the case – EMPD officers Adrian MacKenzie and Kersha-Leigh Stols, who were granted R5 000 bail, while charges against private security officer Etienne van der Walt were withdrawn.
At the centre of the matter is an operation at Peter Prinsloo’s Killarney apartment, where six boxes of gemstones valued at R14.9 million were seized by MacKenzie, Stols and Van der Walt on 11 February 2023.
Only a small portion of the stones, worth approximately R40 000, was later recovered.
Witness K seeks bail
The state told the court that it would not oppose bail for both Mkhwanazi and Witness K.
Witness K confirmed she faces charges of conspiracy to commit robbery, fraud and robbery with aggravated circumstances, but indicated that at this stage, she intends to plead not guilty during trial.
In her affidavit, the JMPD officer emphasised her role as a single mother of three children and the sole provider for her household in her bid for bail.
The 40-year-old woman argued that her cooperation with the police and voluntary testimony at the Madlanga commission should weigh in her favour.
She asked to be released on R5 000 bail.
“My continued incarceration will jeopardise my future plans that I have, and those who heavily rely on me financially will suffer the consequences,” Witness K told the court, adding that her prolonged detention will impact her preparations for trial.
EMPD’s Julius Mkhwanazi claims motives behind arrest
Mkhwanazi strongly rejected the allegations, describing the case against him as weak.
Through his lawyer Shafique Sarlie, he suggested that his recent arrests have been orchestrated by individuals with “ulterior motives” to derail his ambitions of becoming EMPD chief as the position will become vacant at the end of 2026.
“Of course, my arrest impacts my eligibility for the role, if not in fact barring me completely from being considered for such a position,” Mkhwanazi said.
The EMPD official further alleged that his arrest by the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) indicates the involvement of a “puppet master”, highlighting that he had intended to hand himself over to authorities.
He also challenged the nature of the charges, arguing that Prinloo’s affidavit does not support a robbery charge.
“The said criminal complaint statement unequivocally and incontrovertibly supports a charge of theft through false pretences.”
Claims against Witness K
Mkhwanazi further claimed that Witness K falsely implicated him at the Madlanga commission following the breakdown of their romantic relationship.
He acknowledged that they had previously been involved romantically, saying that the JMPD officer had strong feelings for him and had hoped the relationship would lead to marriage.
The EMPD officer, however, chose to end things after a few months, explaining that he did not see her as a suitable “life partner”.
He further claimed that he later became aware of her alleged involvement with another person, allegedly a Hawks member.
“[She] was emotionally distraught and devastated when I jolted her.
“I believe this to be the primary motive in fabricating her evidence to the commission insofar as she implicated me with spurious criminal acts which now form the basis of the charges being preferred against me,” Mkhwanazi’s statement reads.
Madlanga commission testimony
Witness K’s testimony before the Madlanga commission in late June painted a different picture of their relationship.
She testified their romance began in late 2022 and quickly became financially demanding, claiming Mkhwanazi relied on her for support following his suspension in February 2023.
Her assistance allegedly included groceries, legal costs and school fees for his children, which significantly depleted her savings.
She further testified that their relationship ended after they allegedly executed the gemstone theft.
According to the JMPD officer, proceeds from the sale – totalling R110 000 – were divided equally among those involved, with each receiving R22 000.
Multiple cases
The Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court is expected to hear final arguments and deliver a ruling on bail when proceedings resume on Tuesday, 21 July.
Until then, both Mkhwanazi and Witness K remain in custody at Germiston Police Station.
Beyond the current matter, the EMPD senior officer is facing charges in two other cases.
One involves allegations related to the unlawful installation of blue lights on vehicles linked to alleged cartel figure Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala, currently before the Germiston Magistrate’s Court.
The second case, in the Boksburg Magistrate’s Court, concerns fraud and corruption tied to a traffic violation matter involving Ekurhuleni city manager Kagiso Lerutla.
He remains out on bail of R50 000 and R30 000 in those respective cases.
