Suspended Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department deputy chief Brigadier Julius Mkhwanazi has been arrested again, this time in connection with allegations surrounding the unlawful installation of blue lights on private security vehicles.
The latest arrest marks yet another dramatic development in the growing list of criminal matters involving the embattled senior metro police official, who was already in custody in connection with a separate murder case.
According to the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID), Mkhwanazi was served with another warrant of arrest on Thursday as investigators moved against suspects linked to the so-called blue lights saga.
IPID spokesperson Lizzy Suping confirmed that two suspects had been arrested in connection with the matter.
“The two suspects, an EMPD official and a private citizen face charges of fraud and corruption,” Suping said.
Investigators have been probing allegations involving the unlawful installation and use of blue lights on vehicles belonging to a private security company, a scandal that has emerged as one of several matters involving senior officials and alleged criminal networks exposed through investigations and testimony before the Madlanga Commission.
Another arrest while already behind bars
Mkhwanazi’s latest arrest comes while he remains in custody following his earlier arrest in connection with the 2022 murder of Emmanuel Mbense in Brakpan.
He and several co-accused were arrested in August on charges including murder and defeating the ends of justice following investigations into Mbense’s disappearance and death after a police operation at his home.
The blue lights case is therefore not the first criminal matter to confront Mkhwanazi. He has also previously faced allegations and charges linked to fraud and corruption, while earlier this year he was arrested in connection with the alleged theft of precious stones worth about R14.9 million in Killarney.
IPID investigators, assisted by SAPS Tactical Response Team members, arrested Mkhwanazi in July after searching several properties during their investigation into the alleged precious stones heist. He was identified as the fifth suspect arrested in that matter.
Blue lights allegations under the spotlight
The latest case centres on allegations that blue lights were illegally fitted to private security vehicles, raising serious questions about the alleged misuse of equipment and privileges associated with law enforcement.
The matter is linked to allegations involving private security interests and has been placed under increased scrutiny following evidence and allegations that surfaced during the Madlanga Commission.
IPID’s intervention has resulted in charges of fraud and corruption against those arrested, while investigators continue to pursue the broader circumstances surrounding the alleged unlawful installation of the blue lights.
Mkhwanazi’s latest warrant means he is now facing a fifth arrest in a series of cases that have placed one of Ekurhuleni’s most senior suspended metro police officials at the centre of multiple criminal investigations.
A growing list of criminal matters
Before the latest development, Mkhwanazi had already been implicated in several high-profile criminal and corruption-related matters.
He has appeared in court in a fraud and corruption case alongside former Ekurhuleni municipal manager Imogen Mashazi, former human resources executive Linda Gxasheka and the municipality’s head of legal services, Advocate Kemi Behari.
The latest arrest adds another layer to the legal pressure facing Mkhwanazi as investigations continue across several separate cases involving allegations ranging from corruption and fraud to murder and the alleged theft of valuable precious stones.
