Ekurhuleni Metro Police Deputy Chief Julius Mkhwanazi Fired After 10 Months on Suspension

• Julius Mkhwanazi, the suspended Deputy Commissioner of the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department, has been fired
• Mkhwanazi has been suspended since November 2025 following an internal audit that raised serious misconduct allegations
• His dismissal follows a string of criminal charges, including a Schedule 6 murder charge and allegations linked to precious stones theft

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 — Julius Mkhwanazi, the suspended Deputy Commissioner of the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department (EMPD), has been dismissed from his post.

The news was confirmed by eNCA journalist Pule Letshwiti-Jones on Friday, 18 September 2026. Mkhwanazi had been on administrative suspension for ten months, dating back to 11 November 2025. The City of Ekurhuleni formally placed him on suspension following the findings of an internal audit investigation.

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That audit identified systemic governance failures and serious misconduct allegations within the EMPD, prompting the city to suspend him in order to protect the integrity of formal disciplinary proceedings.

Criminal charges against Mkhwanazi

Beyond the internal disciplinary process, Mkhwanazi accumulated a significant number of criminal charges during his suspension. Allegations against him include corruption and fraud tied to the unlawful fitment of blue lights on private security vehicles, involvement in an alleged $14.9 million precious stones theft, and participation in a fraudulent scheme to impersonate a city manager in court proceedings.

Most seriously, he faces a Schedule 6 charge in connection with the 2022 murder of businessman Emmanuel Mbense. At bail hearings, investigating officers argued that his seniority within the EMPD made him a substantial risk for witness intimidation and interference with ongoing investigations, both municipal and criminal in nature.

Source: Briefly News