A Johannesburg Metro Police Department officer has poured her heart out to the Madlanga Commission, saying she felt used. This follows her admission that she helped suspended Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department deputy chief Julius Mkhwanazi and his colleagues steal precious metals under the guise of confiscation.
The officer, who testified under the pseudonym Witness K, also revealed that she was in a romantic relationship with Mkhwanazi. She said she initially was supporting him financially, but his financial requests quickly became demands for her to gather intelligence, which he would in turn use to commit crimes, including robberies.
She became emotional when the evidence leader, Advocate Ofentse Mohlasedi, informed her that the precious metals they stole are worth an estimated R15 million, while they were paid R110,000.
The haul was divided among Mkhwanazi, Witness K, Kersha-Leigh Stols, an EMPD officer, Aiden McKenzie, also an EMPD officer, and Etienne van der Walt, a private security operative who helped in the robbery.
“Even as I looked at the boxes as they were laid on the table, I could not tell how much they were worth. I sourced the information not knowing their value, and seeing this now I can say I was used,” she said.
The stones caused tensions in the group as they tried to sideline each other.
“They keep some in the car, so you know that. What I’m checking with you is what, if anything, do you know about the fact that some stones were found in McKenzie’s motor vehicle, if in fact things happened the way you described them, which is that the stones were given to you, you then gave them to Semon, and he gave you money,” said Justice Seai Baloyi, questioning the witness’s credibility.
“Everybody knows the stones were taken. Whether it was either robbery or theft by false pretences. So in the end, it seems that either two or at least one of the thieves then kept some of the stones. Looks like it was a classic case of there being no honour among thieves, Witness K,” said Justice Madlanga.