Hawks boss fights back
‘Sexual harassment charges diversion from investigation’
EASTERN Cape Hawks head Major-General Nyameko Nogwanya and organised crime unit commander Colonel Loyiso Mdingi claim that two senior Hawks members accusing the former of sexual harassment are doing so to divert attention from an ongoing investigation into the two women’s conduct.
The Saturday Dispatch reported last week that provincial Hawks spokeswoman Captain Anelisa Feni and investigative unit commander Colonel Nokuzola Ngxola had laid sexual harassment charges against Nogwanya.
But Nogwanya said the two were probably trying to divert attention away from their ongoing internal investigation for defeating the ends of justice and leaking secret information to a certain “kingpin”.
“These sexual harassment charges are just a way to divert the attention from their investigation as interestingly enough they laid these charges right after I launched an investigation against them for leaking secret information to a kingpin and their failure to file a secrecy oath at our meetings.”
Although Nogwanya would not divulge the name of the person who allegedly hired the two to leak the information, Mdingi, who is also the provincial leader of Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru), alleged the two were spying for suspended Hawks head General Berning Ntlemeza.
Ngxola’s sin, according to Nogwanya, was to open a case against ANC O R Tambo regional chairman Xolile Nkompela.
The Dispatch earlier reported that the politician was being probed for allegedly faking his educational qualifications with which he allegedly secured a teaching job for a few years. The case has yet to open. Nogwanya said he had cautioned Ngxola for allegedly opening questionable and politically motivated charges against politicians.
Nogwanya further charged the two female officers had refused to hand over their state phones as part of his investigation.
He alleged Ngxola and Feni had reported their phones missing.
“That constitutes defeating the ends of justice. Funny enough, when I launched the investigation, they got sick and were absent for more than two weeks and when I sent people to fetch the state phones, they said they had lost the phones.”
Nogwanya did not say whether he launched an investigation into the missing phones.
Mdingi also claimed Ntlemeza has been at odds with Nogwanya after the provincial boss failed to take the suspended national boss’s instructions to fire Mdingi for comments he made at a rally about Ntlemeza.
“At the rally I called for the minister of police to fire Ntlemeza and Phahlane because their feud was not healthy for the police ministry.”
Mdingi said Ngxola reported him to Ntlemeza for the comments.
Mdingi also accused Ngxola of having been invited to a party in Cape Town with Hawks top brass. Mdingi also said Ngxola had gone on a trip to China with the suspended boss.
Meanwhile, the national head office of the Hawks has slammed the Saturday Dispatch following the report of the sexual harassment allegations against Nogwanya, calling it “irresponsible”.
In a media statement yesterday, Hawks acting national head Lieutenant-General Yolisa Matakata said, “The newspaper article which quoted two Hawks senior managers has not only embarrassed the organisation but also attempted to humiliate and damage the integrity of the two alleged sexual harassment victims”.
“Deplorably, the victims’ identities were carelessly splashed across the newspaper without their consent; undermining their right to privacy, their personal safety and endeavouring to misdirect the internal investigation which has already commenced.”
Matakata also demanded an apology from this newspaper for allegedly putting the lives of the victims at risk.
Both Ngxola and Feni maintained yesterday the Dispatch should speak to the national Hawks spokesman Brigadier Mulaudzi.
Mulaudzi failed to respond to Dispatch’s e-mailed questions.
The Dispatch also made several attempts to get a comment from Ntlemeza. —