His arrest marks the latest development in the investigation into the alleged theft of precious stones from a Johannesburg apartment.
Suspended Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department (EMPD) Julius Mkhwanazi testifies at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry at Brigitte Mabandla Justice College on June 24, 2026 in Pretoria, South Africa. Picture: Gallo Images/Frennie Shivambu
Suspended Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department (EMPD) Deputy Chief Julius Mkhwanazi has been arrested in connection with the R14.9 million Killarney precious stones heist.
Mkhwanazi was arrested by the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) on Friday, 17 July, along with another suspect believed to be the Madlanga commission’s Witness K.
Latest arrests in the precious stones theft investigation
The pair is being held at the Germiston Police Station on the East Rand and is expected to appear in court on Monday, 20 July.
They form part of five suspects who were sought in connection with the theft of precious stones worth millions from an apartment in Killarney, Johannesburg.
Charges against one of the suspects, private security officer Etienne van der Walt, have since been dropped.
The two other co-accused in the matter, EMPD officers Adrian MacKenzie and Kersha-Leigh Stols, were granted R5 000 bail each in the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court on 16 July, and are expected to appear in court again on 25 August.
Ipid spokesperson Lizzy Suping said the directorate initially had five warrants of arrest to effect, three of which were effected on 3 and 6 July.
They had to “sort out” paperwork for the warrants of arrest effected on Friday.
Allegations surrounding the precious stones
It is alleged that the accused acted illegally when searching and seizing six boxes of sugilite and manganese stones worth almost R14.9 million.
“They raided a house in Killarney, Johannesburg without a warrant and one of them also impersonated himself as a police officer while others went to conduct an investigation in an area which was not their area of jurisdiction,” Suping said on Friday.
“But we also had two other suspects whose responsibilities at work do not involve any investigation work and that is the reason why they are facing fraud, because there was theft of those precious stones and they did not even register those exhibits, after they seized them from that house in Killarney, in the occurrence book of the South African Police Service at a police station.”
Mkhwanazi and his co-accused face a charge of corruption because of their unlawful conduct in the alleged raid and seizure of precious stones.
Witness K’s Madlanga commission testimony
During her testimony before the commission, Witness K – a JMPD VIP protection unit inspector – said she became romantically involved with Mkhwanazi in late 2022.
According to her evidence, the relationship was marked by financial dependency.
Witness K stated that once her savings were exhausted, Mkhwanazi allegedly urged her to “keep my ear to the ground” in search of opportunities to make money.
She claimed this led to a coordinated plan to steal precious stones from Peter Prinsloo at his apartment in Killarney on 11 February 2023.
She told the commission that after the theft, proceeds amounting to R110 000 were allegedly equally distributed among those allegedly involved, including Mkhwanazi, Stols, McKenzie, and van der Walt.
Mkhwanazi arrested three times in three different cases
In a video of his arrest on Friday evening, Mkhwanazi appeared warm and in good spirits.
This was his third arrest since his initial appearance at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry probing alleged criminality, political interference and corruption in the criminal justice system.
Mkhwanazi was first arrested on 18 April as part of an ongoing investigation into corruption within the EMPD.
His second arrest on 8 July was related to his alleged involvement in the unlawful installation of blue lights on four vehicles owned by alleged cartel figure Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala.
Additional reporting by Jarryd Westerdale and Molefe Seeletsa
