Adrian McKenzie and Kersha Leigh Stols Implicate Julius Mkhwanazi in R14.9m Precious Stones Case

• Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department (EMPD) officer Adrian MacKenzie and former EMPD officer Kersha Leigh Stols appeared in court
• The pair are both charged in relation to the theft of R14.9 million worth of precious stones from an apartment complex in Johannesburg in 2023
• In their bail affidavits, both Stols and McKenzie explained suspended EMPD Deputy Chief Commissioner Julius Mkhwanazi's role in the matter

Byron Pillay, a Briefly News journalist, has dedicated a decade to reporting on the South African political landscape, crime, and social issues. He worked as a newspaper journalist for 10 years before transitioning to online.

GAUTENG — Two accused in the 2023 R14.9 million precious stones theft have directly implicated suspended Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department (EMPD) Deputy Chief Julius Mkhwanazi in the matter.

EMPD officer Adrian MacKenzie and former EMPD officer Kersha Leigh Stols appeared before the Johannesburg Magistrate's Court on 16 July 2026, where they were both granted bail.

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The pair were granted bail of R5,000 each after appearing alongside businessman Etienne van der Walt in relation to the theft of precious stones in 2023. The State has since withdrawn the case against van der Walt.

What did they say about Mkhwanazi?

In their bail affidavits, both McKenzie and Stols claimed that they followed Mkhwanazi's direct instructions throughout the operation.

The incident, which dates back to February 2023, centres around a case where a group of officers, including EMPD and Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) personnel, staged a coordinated false raid at an apartment complex in Killarney, Johannesburg.

Posing as a multi-disciplinary task team investigating lithium smuggling, they seized six boxes of high-grade sugilite and manganese stones. The stolen crystals were allegedly sold for R110,000, with each participant reportedly receiving around R22,000.

MacKenzie and Stols told the court they had been directed by Mkhwanazi and genuinely believed they were participating in a legitimate law enforcement exercise. The matter came to light following testimony by Witness K before the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry in June 2024.

Mkhwanazi discusses criminal charges against him

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Briefly News reported that Julius Mkhwanazi shared his thoughts about the recent criminal charges against him.

Mkhwanazi faces multiple charges of fraud, corruption, and defeating the ends of justice, which he claims are part of a plot against him.

South Africans took to social media to weigh in on the suspended EMPD Chief's statement about his plans for the future.

Source: Briefly News