Masuku defends murder investigation integrity amid death threats

Senior Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) investigator Nomsa Masuku has denied claims that the police watchdog delayed the murder investigation of Emmanuel Mbense.

Mbense was allegedly killed by members of the Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department (EMPD) in April 2022. He was previously linked to a business robbery in Boksburg, and his body was later found in a lake in Germiston.

Masuku wrapped up her testimony at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry, which is probing allegations of corruption and misconduct within the criminal justice system.

She stated that claims that IPID investigators were protecting implicated EMPD officers, including Deputy Chief Julius Mkhwanazi, are false. Masuku added that investigators could not provide regular updates on the case to protect the investigation and their own safety.

Earlier on Thursday, Masuku revealed that she received death threats and that her car was shot at while she was driving with her family in 2024.

"He was never protected, as you can see that his statement was taken long ago, not because of this commission," Masuku said regarding Mkhwanazi. "If the time comes for him to be arrested, he knows very well that we will arrest him; it's not that we are scared."

She has asked the commission to recommend that investigators be given security protection.

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