Former EMPD deputy chief Julius Mkhwanazi, whose new arrest warrant the Boksburg Magistrates Court stayed on Tuesday. Image credit Supplied
The Boksburg Magistrates Court has stayed a new Julius Mkhwanazi warrant of arrest after the State missed a legal deadline to bring the former EMPD deputy chief to court. The court also extended his bail in the matter.
Mkhwanazi faces charges of fraud, corruption and defeating the ends of justice in this case. The charges relate to an alleged scheme that dates back to 2019. Ekurhuleni city manager Kagiso Lerutla is his co accused, and the court also extended Lerutla’s bail.
Why the court stayed the Julius Mkhwanazi warrant
Mkhwanazi is currently in custody on other charges. For this reason, the State needed to request his transfer from the correctional facility to court for his appearance on Tuesday.
By law, the State must send this request at least 48 hours in advance so that officials can arrange transport and security. However, the State only made its request on Monday.
As a result, Mkhwanazi could not appear in court. His defence then asked the court to extend his bail and stay the warrant, and the court agreed. The case now returns to court on 3 November.
Despite the ruling, Mkhwanazi remains behind bars. He faces several other criminal cases, and in one of them a court denied him bail.
That case involves the murder of Emmanuel Mbense, who died in April 2022. Investigators later found his body in a dam in Brakpan. Police arrested Mkhwanazi and four others in connection with the killing in August this year.
In addition, Mkhwanazi faces other fraud and corruption cases. In August, police also served him with a warrant linked to the alleged irregular fitting of blue lights on vehicles connected to businessman Vusimuzi Cat Matlala.
Furthermore, many of the allegations against him first surfaced at the Madlanga Commission, where he testified earlier this year. The City of Ekurhuleni suspended him in November 2025.
For now, the stayed Julius Mkhwanazi warrant gives him a short reprieve in one case, while he remains in custody on the others.
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