EMPD’s Mkhwanazi arrested for 2022 torture and murder of Emmanuel Mbense

Julius Mkhwanazi, the suspended deputy head of the Ekurhuleni metro police department (EMPD) was among five people arrested on Wednesday afternoon for the April 2022 murder ofEmmanuel Mbense, according to a well-placed source. Mbense was allegedly tortured to death during an interrogation. His body was later dumped in a river in Duduza in Nigel on the East Rand.

Lizzy Suping, spokesperson for the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) could not reveal the names of the five arrested EMPD and police officers, but confirmed that they were expected to appear before the Brakpan magistrate’s court on Thursday. “The suspects face a charge of murder and defeating the ends of justice. They allegedly played a role in the murder of Emmanuel Mbense, the dumping of his body …

and failing to report a crime,” she said. Shuping said the suspects had conducted a raid at Mbense’s property before his murder because he had been implicated in a business robbery in Boksburg North. Evidence before the Madlanga commission implicated Mkhwanazi in the murder cover-up.

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The late Marius van der Merwe, the owner of a security company and known at the commission as Witness D, told the inquiry that Mkhwanazi was called after Mbense was murdered. Van der Merwe was shot dead in December. On arrival at the murder scene, Mkhwanazi instructed them to either dump the body at a mine dump or in a river, he said. Witness D said when Mkhwanazi issued the instruction, he was looking at him, so he understood that he was meant to carry it out, and he did.

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