State Will Not Join Separate Cases Against Suspended EMPD Deputy Chief Julius Mkhwanazi

The State has told the Germiston Magistrates’ Court that two cases involving suspended EMPD Deputy Chief Julius Mkhwanazi will continue separately despite questions over their parallel proceedings.

The State has no intention of joining two separate cases against suspended Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department (EMPD) Deputy Chief Julius Mkhwanazi, despite questions from the Germiston Magistrates’ Court about why the matters are being heard separately.

The two cases appeared before the court one after the other on Friday.

The first is a disciplinary-related criminal matter involving Mkhwanazi and several former City of Ekurhuleni officials, including the then municipal manager and former human resources and legal executives.

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They face allegations of interfering with disciplinary proceedings against Mkhwanazi, awarding themselves salary increases without the required council approval and promoting Mkhwanazi despite an Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) report that allegedly recommended action over corruption allegations.

The second matter concerns allegations involving private vehicles linked to alleged underworld figure Vusimuzi Matlala.

The State alleges that the vehicles were irregularly registered as City of Ekurhuleni assets and fitted with blue emergency lights. They were allegedly subsequently used for private purposes, including an alleged blue-light escort for Matlala’s wife to the airport.

State Opposes Joining Of The Matters

The State, which did not oppose bail in the blue-light case, told the court that the two matters involve different groups of accused.

It pointed out that three of the people charged in the municipal human resources-related case are not directly implicated in the allegations concerning the vehicles and their alleged use.

Mkhwanazi and the other accused in the blue-light matter applied for bail.

The court granted accused number three, Chris Steyn, bail of R10,000.

Mkhwanazi’s bail application was not finalised. The court reserved judgment pending the outcome of separate bail proceedings in the Brakpan Magistrates’ Court, where he faces murder-related charges linked to the death of businessman Emmanuel Mbense.

Matlala Remains In Separate High Court Trial

Matlala did not apply for bail in the Germiston proceedings.

He is due to return to his separate High Court trial on Monday.

The Germiston court has postponed both matters until September, with the cases continuing independently.

The allegations against Mkhwanazi, Matlala and the other accused remain matters before the courts and have not been established as facts through a final finding of guilt.