Mkhwanazi admits jurisdictional breach in R14m gemstone theft case

Suspended Ekurhuleni Metro Police (EMPD) Deputy Chief Julius Mkhwanazi has admitted it was wrong to dispatch two officers into another jurisdiction to confiscate precious gemstones from a Johannesburg resident.

The two officers in question are currently under investigation by the police watchdog, Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID), for the alleged theft of stones valued at over R14 million.

Mkhwanazi testified on Thursday at the Madlanga Commission regarding allegations that he oversaw a "rogue unit" within the department that conducted illegal, off-the-books operations.

READ: Mkhwanazi grilled for allegedly running kidnapping, extortion racket within EMPD

Metro Police Departments are generally mandated to operate strictly within their specific municipal boundaries. Under standard protocols:

The JMPD is restricted to Johannesburg.

The EMPD must limit its operations to Ekurhuleni.

While exceptions exist, such as "hot pursuit" cases where a suspect flees across borders or instances governed by a formal Memorandum of Understanding between departments, none of these criteria were met in the gemstone case.

The two EMPD officers crossed into a different jurisdiction to allegedly investigate a Johannesburg resident accused of selling "fake stones" on social media.

Commission Chairperson Mbuyiseli Madlanga put it directly to Mkhwanazi, suggesting the unauthorised cross-border operation was an act of criminality.

Mbuyiseli Madlanga: "Do you agree?"

Julius Mkhwanazi: "Let me say we agree, and we must learn from this so that we correct the situation. I know that the officers and departments are listening wherever they are."

According to IPID, the gemstones supposedly confiscated by the EMPD officers were never booked into evidence.