Mashaba requests Hawks boss probe
THE Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) has confirmed it received a formal complaint from City of Johannesburg mayor Herman Mashaba about Hawks boss Berning Ntlemeza.
“Yesterday‚ the Ipid management met with the mayor of the City of Johannesburg Herman Mashaba and his team at Ipid’s national office.
“The meeting took place at the behest of mayor Mashaba. The subject of the meeting had to do with various allegations of failure to investigate serious cases of corruption by the Directorate of Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI)‚ otherwise known as The Hawks.
“Ipid requested the City of Johannesburg to provide it with specific details in order for it to assess which of those complaints fall within its mandate and in order to inve it has a mandate.
“Once the requested information has been received and analysed‚ Ipid will take a decision with regard to investigation‚” Ipid spokesman Moses Dlamini said.
Mashaba said Ntlemeza had interfered with criminal investigations reported by the City of Johannesburg.
“This includes an instruction made to all members involved in such investigations to no longer pursue such cases‚ nor arrest suspects.
“Further‚ threats of surveillance and monitoring were made against members who investigate our matters‚” he said in a statement.
“Given the gravity of these allegations‚ I was left with no choice but to request Ipid to intervene and investigate this matter.
“We cannot allow political interests to interfere in our fight against corruption in the City of Johannesburg‚” Mashaba said.
He said the allegations of interference in these criminal investigations were backed up by the number of cases where investigations had been completed‚ but no further action had been taken.
“I have stated on numerous occasions that corruption was so deep-rooted in this city that it can only be termed as outright looting.
“This culture of stealing from our people has to come to an end if we are going to realise our vision for a more prosperous and inclusive city‚” he said.
Mashaba added: “When I entered office, I declared corruption as public enemy No 1 and we have done everything in our power to root corruption out in this city.”
He said he had also forwarded copies of his complaints against Ntlemeza to the new Minister of Police Fikile Mbalula‚ and the Gauteng MEC for Community Safety Sizakele Nkosi-Malobane. — TMG