Julius Mkhwanazi and co-accused return to court for bail bid

Brigadier Julius Mkhwanazi and four of his co-accused returned to Brakpan Magistrate’s Court on Thursday to seek bail in connection with the murder of Emmanuel Mbense. The case was postponed last week following disagreements over the State's decision to classify the incident as a Schedule 6 offence and to oppose bail for all five accused individuals.

The arrested individuals included Mkhwanazi, Keisha-Leigh Stols, Adrian MacKenzie, Bhekokwakhe Sibande, and Cobus Janse van Rensburg. The charges against them are Schedule 6 murder, which requires the accused to demonstrate exceptional circumstances to secure bail. The murders of Mbense, who was allegedly tortured and killed at his Brakpan home in April 2022, and his body subsequently disposed of in a dam in Duduza, were central to the investigation.

The late Marius van der Merwe, a security company owner who testified before the Madlanga Commission, claimed that Mkhwanazi was called to the scene after Mbense's murder and instructed those present to dispose of the body at a mine dump or in a river. Van der Merwe was subsequently shot dead outside his Brakpan residence on December 5, 2025, weeks after providing evidence.

The State prosecutor, Nceba Ntelwa, argued that the case should remain opposed to bail due to its Schedule 6 classification, stating that the defence must prove exceptional circumstances to justify their release. However, the defense contended that the charge sheet did not warrant a Schedule 6 classification and that the State had not provided sufficient information to support its opposition to bail. The court will reconvene on Thursday for further proceedings on the bail applications.