Witness K, an inspector in the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department's VIP protection unit, told the Madlanga Commission that she provided information about precious sugilite stones that were later seized during an alleged staged police search-and-seizure operation in 2023.
The commission previously heard about an alleged rogue operation involving officers from the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department (EMPD), during which precious stones were confiscated from a residence in Killarney and later disappeared while in police custody.
Suspended EMPD deputy chief Julius Mkhwanazi allegedly led the unit involved in the operation. Although he has denied involvement, Mkhwanazi admitted that his vehicle was parked outside the residence when the alleged theft took place.
Mkhwanazi is out on R30 000 bail, alongside Ekurhuleni city manager Kagiso Lerutla. Lerutla allegedly paid R400 000 to arrange for a civilian, Thabang Tsotetsi, to impersonate him in court in an excessive speeding case.
Witness K said Mkhwanazi instructed EMPD constables Keisha Stols and Adrian McKenzie to search the home of a suspected minerals dealer. Witness K said she supplied information on the stones’ location.
Witness K told the commission that the precious stones were sugilite and that Mkhwanazi had incorrectly identified them as lithium.
She told the commission that she met Mkhwanazi in 2022 and the two began a romantic relationship.
"From then on, Mr Mkhwanazi would regularly ask me to lend him money. His requests for financial assistance were very frequent and, despite promises to do so, he did not repay me.
"As his girlfriend, I assisted him with groceries, paid legal fees relating to his disciplinary case at work and helped with his children's school fees."
Witness K said Mkhwanazi later asked her to "keep my ear to the ground" and pass on information about cases involving money.
"I then remembered information that I had previously received from an informant about illegal stones in the possession of someone living in a block of flats in Killarney.
"I told Mr Mkhwanazi about the informant and mentioned that the informant needed someone to recover the stones from the owner. Mr Mkhwanazi asked me to get in touch with the informant and said he would assemble a team to follow up on the information."
Witness K said that in early 2023, Mkhwanazi became increasingly persistent about obtaining information relating to the stones.
"Each of us had our roles to play. I had to organise the informant, secure information about the whereabouts of the stones and ensure the informant was ready to receive the stones and make payment once they had been recovered."
On 11 February 2023, while off duty, Witness K met Mkhwanazi and members of the team, including Stols, McKenzie and a civilian, Andy Van der Walt, at a nearby restaurant.
"After our meeting, we went our separate ways. Officer Stols, McKenzie and Mr Van der Walt went to Killarney to get the stones. I went home. I do not know where Mr Mkhwanazi went."
In a separate affidavit, Van der Walt said the stones were handed to two individuals in a vehicle parked outside the residence, where an unidentified JMPD officer was allegedly seated with Mkhwanazi.
"After a while, we left with the boxes and Constable Stols gave the [owner] an SAPS seizure form. We met the JMPD officer and Constable Stols and Constable McKenzie handed the JMPD officer the SAPS seizure form and the rocks," Van der Walt said.
After the stones were removed from the property, the group met at a residence in Cyrildene.
"When we were there, Mr Van der Walt negotiated the price to be paid in exchange for the stones and I believe the agreed amount was R110 000," Witness K said.
"We shared the money equally among the five of us. I gave them R88 000 for Mkhwanazi, Stols, McKenzie and Van der Walt. I kept R22 000 for myself."
Witness K said that two months later, the owner of the stones opened a criminal case of theft and said the stones were worth R14 926 412. The Independent Police Investigative Directorate is investigating the matter.