Respect the law

BERNING Ntlemeza was adamant that he would report for duty today as head of the crime- busting Hawks – even though he was in effect fired by the Pretoria High Court last week.

He had applied for leave to take a decision by the same court a month ago – that he was unfit to hold office – on review. Indeed, the court went further than that, describing his appointment to the top position at the Directorate of Priority Crimes as “irrational and unlawful”.

It would be a euphemism to describe Ntlemeza’s career as a policeman and later one of the most senior police officers in the nation as chequered, but Ntlemeza seemed to have a charmed life. In this latest instance, erstwhile police minister Nathi Nhleko was quick to pledge his support to take the matter on review to the Supreme Court of Appeal. Such a gambit – had it been successful – would have allowed him to stay on pending the outcome.

Ntlemeza suffered a double blow when the new Minister of Police, Fikile Mbalula, announced last week that his ministry would not appeal against the original decision by the Pretoria High Court that Ntlemeza should never have been appointed in the first place – and then a full Bench ruled out his bid to take the decision on review and ordered that he vacate his office immediately.

Ntlemeza reportedly believes only Parliament can remove him from his post. It appears to be an act of stunning hubris – as ill-fated as Icarus’s bid to fly to the sun.

He could well discover the cost of that arrogance later today when Mbalula digs in his heels. The new police minister, typical of his previous appointment to the cabinet, has shown himself to be an absolute bundle of energy – and also a person who sticks to his guns.

Ntlemeza has no place in Mbalula’s administration – and, obviously, no call upon his loyalty.

Today, if he tries for a showdown, he will find out the hard way that a police officer is supposed to uphold the law, not hold himself above the law.