Suspended Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department Deputy Chief Julius Mkhwanazi and five co-accused returned to the Brakpan Magistrate’s Court on 18 August 2026 for a bail hearing in the murder case of businessman Emmanuel Mbense. The State is opposing bail for all six accused, who face charges of murder, robbery with aggravating circumstances, and defeating the ends of justice.
Mbense, 52, was allegedly abducted, tortured and killed in Brakpan in April 2022 before his body was dumped near Nigel. According to Eyewitness News, reporting from court proceedings, the accused were linked to events surrounding Mbense’s death after allegedly going to his property following a robbery at a Schneider Electric warehouse in Brakpan.
The State has classified the case as a Schedule 6 offence, meaning the accused must demonstrate exceptional circumstances to justify release on bail. Independent Online reported that the State is opposing bail for all six, a position consistent across eNCA, SABC News and Eyewitness News coverage of the proceedings.
IPID investigator Nomsa Masaku testified before the court on 20 August 2026, with defence lawyers cross-examining her during the continued hearing. According to eNCA, Masaku told the court that Mbense’s body was moved to hide the crime, though this claim remains an allegation pending fuller court verification.
SABC News reported that Mkhwanazi had been arrested previously and was already out on bail in other matters at the time of his arrest in connection with the Mbense case. Mkhwanazi and four others were arrested by IPID on 5 August 2026, with a sixth accused added later, before the matter was enrolled in the Brakpan Magistrate’s Court on 13 August 2026.
The case has drawn national attention because it involves a senior metro police officer and emerges from the wider Madlanga Commission, which has examined allegations of police misconduct in Ekurhuleni. IPID’s investigation into alleged police involvement in Mbense’s killing has placed the case at the intersection of organised crime allegations and internal law enforcement accountability.
Mkhwanazi and his co-accused remain behind bars as bail proceedings continue. Eyewitness News reported on 27 August 2026 that the hearings were still expected to continue, though no firm date for a ruling had been confirmed at the time of that report.
What remains unknown is the precise role each accused allegedly played in the murder, robbery and cover-up, as these details are still contested in court. Cape Flats will next check for updates when the bail hearing resumes or a ruling is handed down.