South Africa: Family Thanks Mkhwanazi As Murder Suspects Finally Arrested

What the report says

The family of Emmanuel Mbense says a series of arrests has brought them closer to justice in a case they believe had stalled for years. According to Scrolla, via AllAfrica, five suspects were detained on Wednesday in connection with Mbense’s killing, including suspended Ekurhuleni Metro Police deputy chief Brigadier Julius Mkhwanazi. The suspects are expected to appear in the Brakpan Magistrate’s Court.

The article says investigators allege Mbense was tortured during an interrogation at his home in Brakpan in April 2022 and later dumped in a river in Duduza, Nigel. His brother, Nhlanhla, said the family had long struggled to get police to treat the matter as a murder case and initially had to seek help elsewhere before investigators from the Independent Police Investigative Directorate became involved. He said hearing the commission evidence was painful but also helped the family understand what happened.

The family credited KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Lt. Gen. Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi for a July 2025 media briefing that helped lead to the Madlanga Commission, where witnesses described alleged police involvement and a cover-up. The report also notes that one witness, security company owner Marius van der Merwe, later died in a shooting after testifying. While the arrests do not end the family’s grief, they said they now believe the justice process is finally moving forward.