Commission Scrutinizes Mkhwanazi on Misconduct Allegations

The Madlanga Commission of Inquiry in Pretoria has placed suspended Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department deputy chief Julius Mkhwanazi under intense scrutiny over allegations of misconduct, including a rogue operation that led to the disappearance of valuable lithium rocks, unauthorized agreements with private security firms, irregular promotions within the department, and misleading statements to the commission itself.

During hearings this week at the Brigitte Mabandla Justice College, Mkhwanazi testified about a February 2023 search-and-seizure operation at a Rosebank residence in Johannesburg, where Ekurhuleni officers, including Constables Keisha Stols and Adrian McKenzie, confiscated lithium-bearing rocks valued at approximately R14 million from suspected minerals dealer Peter Prinsloo. Stols recounted in her affidavit that the officers, accompanied by a civilian, found the purple rocks in a cupboard after Prinsloo failed to produce possession or sales permits. The rocks later vanished from police custody, with only R40,000 worth recovered from McKenzie's vehicle, leading to his arrest.

Mkhwanazi denied directing the operation, which occurred outside the department's...