Suspended Ekurhuleni deputy chief of police Brig Julius Mkhwanazi has firmly denied allegations that he was involved in the kidnapping of a junior colleague, describing the claims as pure lies and an attack on his character.
Testifying before the Madlanga commission of inquiry in Pretoria on Tuesday, Mkhwanazi rejected accusations that he had any role in the alleged abduction of Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department (EMPD) spokesperson Lt-Col Kelebogile Thepa.
‘I deny this’
“I am a police officer. I have not planned or kidnapped anyone, especially not my junior colleague,” Mkhwanazi told the commission.
“I would like to deny this.”
He further stated that he had never directly interacted with Thepa in a professional capacity, claiming she did not report to him but rather to multiple senior officials within the department.
According to Mkhwanazi, internal reviews of the allegations had found them to be baseless.
“We have been able to track and search all the allegations and proved them to be lies,” he said.
Thepa’s tears ‘not real’
He further added that claims of sexual harassment were also unfounded and motivated by Thepa’s alleged unwillingness to comply.
Mkhwanazi dismissed Thepa’s earlier testimony, in which she broke down before the commission.
“She came here and cried, and those tears were not real tears. She knows I can never do such a thing,” he said.
Thepa’s allegations, first presented to the commission in November 2025, highlighted a different picture.
She claimed she was targeted after exposing alleged corruption linked to Mkhwanazi, particularly involving the controversial blue-light saga within the EMPD.
Thepa treaded on toes
According to her testimony, tensions escalated after she alerted the department to a media inquiry that raised concerns about the use of blue-light vehicles. She believes this disclosure placed her under scrutiny from powerful figures within the organisation.
Thepa told the commission that once it became known who had shared the information, several senior officials, including Mkhwanazi were not happy.
Recounting a traumatic incident in July 2023, Thepa testified that she was confronted by three men while sitting in her sister’s car outside her home. She alleged that the men held her at gunpoint and made remarks suggesting she was seen as a problem within the EMPD.
“I was numb, mute, non-responsive… trying to make sense of what was happening. I was so out of it I couldn’t make a sound,” she said.
She further alleged that the assailants drove her to Ivory Park, where they demanded access to her phone, insisting it contained information they were seeking.
Thepa has maintained that the incident was linked to her efforts to expose wrongdoing within the department.
Mkhwanazi, however, has insisted that he is being unfairly blamed for broader institutional issues.
“Everything that is wrong at EMPD, it is Julius Mkhwanazi. As if I am the only person who has been commanding. I know that you must take responsibility when you’re in charge,” he said.
The commission is probing serious claims of misconduct, corruption, and abuse of power within the EMPD.
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- Suspended Ekurhuleni deputy chief of police Brig Julius Mkhwanazi denied involvement in the alleged kidnapping of EMPD spokesperson Lt-Col Kelebogile Thepa, calling the claims lies and character attacks.
- Mkhwanazi stated he never had professional interactions with Thepa and that internal reviews found the kidnapping and sexual harassment allegations baseless.
- Thepa alleged she was targeted after revealing alleged corruption linked to Mkhwanazi, including issues with misuse of blue-light vehicles, leading to her abduction in July 2023.
- During the alleged abduction, Thepa claimed she was held at gunpoint, taken to another location, and pressured to give access to her phone.
- The commission is investigating claims of misconduct, corruption, and abuse of power within the EMPD, with Mkhwanazi saying he is being unfairly singled out for institutional problems.
"I am a police officer. I have not planned or kidnapped anyone, especially not my junior colleague,"
"I would like to deny this."
He further stated that he had never directly interacted with
"We have been able to track and search all the allegations and proved them to be lies," he said.
He further added that claims of sexual harassment were also unfounded and motivated by
"
"I was numb, mute, non-responsive… trying to make sense of what was happening. I was so out of it I couldn’t make a sound," she said.
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