Julius Mkhwanazi and Witness K in court. eNCA/Naomie Kobbie
JOHANNESBURG - Suspended Ekurhuleni Deputy Police Chief Julius Mkhwanazi is blaming his latest foray into the courts on a jilted lover.
Mkhwanazi says his former partner, Witness K, came up with the scheme to implicate him in the R15-million precious stones heist after they broke up.
This was heard when the two appeared before the Johannesburg Magistrate's Court on Monday on charges related to fraud and robbery with aggravating circumstances.
According to Mkhwanazi, Witness K falsely implicated him in the theft of multi-million-rand precious stones.
“(Witness K) was emotionally distraught and devastated when I jilted her. I believe this to be the primary motive in fabricating the evidence for the commission. Insofar as she has implicated me with the spurious criminal acts which now form the basis of the charges being preferred against me here,” Mkhwanazi's affidavit read.
Witness K is charged alongside Mkhwanazi, EMPD officer Adrian MacKenzie and former EMPD officer Kersha-Leigh Stohls in connection with the 2023 theft of R14.9 million in precious stones from Rosebank.
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She previously testified before the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry, where she admitted her role in the theft and outlined how the stones were to be seized unlawfully from their owner.
Corroborating part of Witness K's testimony, Mkhwanazi confirmed that the pair were romantically involved as of 2023 and that they both were in love with each other and were convinced that they would get married.
Mkhwanazi said he soon came to a realisation that Witness K was not the lifetime partner that he was seeking, and within a few months of their romance, they broke things off.
According to Mkhwanazi, before the break-up, Witness K disclosed to him that an informant had provided her with information about a stash of fake gems being kept at an apartment in Johannesburg.
“There had been reports on social media emanating from both Edenville (which falls within the jurisdiction of the EMPD), as well as in Johannesburg (falling within JMPD), on social media, that members of the public were being scammed through the purchase of these fake stones,” he detailed in his affidavit.
He claimed that he tasked the two JMPD officers to conduct, jointly with Witness K, an operation to seize the fake stones at the place in Johannesburg.
READ | Julius Mkhwanazi, Witness K to appear in court over gemstones theft
“In the course of the raid, I had briefly checked on the officers attending in my vehicle in the vicinity of the apartment block that I shortly before had been told was in Killarney, Johannesburg, and after receiving a brief report from (co-accused EMPD officer Adrian MacKenzie), I proceeded on my way.
“I later learned that indeed a quantity of precious stones was recovered from the apartment. Whether the stones were fake or genuine, to the best of my knowledge, needed to be confirmed by an ostensibly expert in precious metals as part of the police investigation into the matter," Mkhwanazi said.
He alleges that he learned that the seized items had been booked at Benoni Police Station.
He denied any involvement in the theft of the stones and rejected claims of being the mastermind behind the theft.
“I pause here to emphatically and deny any allegations by (former EMPD officer Kersha-Leigh Stohls), McKenzie, and (Witness K) that I arranged, instructed, or was even aware that some or more of the stones had been sold to a buyer arranged by (Witness K), who had paid an amount of R110,000. I further deny receiving any portion of the proceeds, for clearly it would have been a theft of such seized items," Mkhwanazi said.