A warrant of arrest issued for former Ekurhuleni deputy police chief Julius Mkhwanazi has been stayed after he missed his court appearance on Tuesday.
Mkhwanazi and Ekurhuleni city manager Kagiso Lerutla were due to appear before the Boksburg Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday over allegations linked to a 2019 court-impersonation scheme.
But Mkhwanazi, who is being held in custody, was not brought to court after the state failed to submit the required requisition for his transfer within the prescribed 48-hour period.
They requisition gives correctional authorities sufficient time to arrange an accused person’s transport, security and other logistical requirements for a court appearance.
In this case, the request was only submitted on Monday, leaving the state outside the required window.
With Mkhwanazi absent, the court placed the administrative failure on record and stayed the arrest warrant issued after he failed to appear.
The defence also sought an extension of bail for both accused until their next scheduled appearance on November 3.
The court granted the request and ordered that the warrant against Mkhwanazi remain stayed until then, pending his appearance.
The case stems from allegations that Mkhwanazi and Lerutla were involved in a 2019 scheme that impersonated a court official.
They face charges including fraud, corruption and defeating the ends of justice.
Mkhwanazi remains on bail in the matter but faces four other cases, including one in which bail was denied.
