Petros tipped to become new Hawks boss
Outgoing Dramat said to have pandered to the DA
FORMER Gauteng provincial police commissioner LietenantGeneral Mzwandile Petros is poised to become the new boss of the Hawks.
This follows the advertisement of current Hawks boss Anwa Dramat’s job last week.
Petros, who was to have been replaced by Major-General Bethuel Zuma, will stay on at the SAPS and work on special projects until the end of the year. Just a few hours after being appointed as Petros’s replacement, Zuma was withdrawn.
Yesterday, national police commissioner General Riah Phiyega described Petros as a model policeman and manager.
The Sunday Times has learnt that Dramat, who has fallen out of favour with his political bosses, will not apply for the job he has held since 2009, the establishment of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigations, known as the Hawks.
Insiders at the agency say Dramat told those close to him that he was looking forward to returning as a lieutenant-general in the SAPS.
He was seconded to the Hawks.
Before he was appointed to the post, Dramat was Petros’s deputy when the latter was the Western Cape provincial commissioner.
Dramat’s relationship with his bosses has deteriorated because of his perceived bias in cases pursued by the Hawks.
“A [senior SAPS official] once confronted him and told him that the political leadership was not happy with him because they saw him to be pandering to the DA in the investigations,” said an insider.
He also irritated his bosses when he refused to back down on the Hawks investigation into suspended crime intelligence boss Richard Mdluli.
Petros recently announced his retirement as Gauteng provincial commissioner after three years.
He came to Gauteng in 2010 after serving seven years as Western Cape commissioner.
His decision was met with shock by civil society, and the Gauteng legislature asked him to reconsider his departure.
Police management has been at pains to explain why they were letting Petros go, without saying what his future plans were.
Although some had speculated that Petros would be announced as one of Phiyega’s three deputies, she said only that he would be “moving on”, but would remain in the police til the end of this year.
“Today is his last day as provincial commissioner of Gauteng,” said Phiyega. “We have been engaged in discussions about his future role in the
There’s nothing major the Hawks have achieved under Dramat
police.
“He indicated his desire to move on and pursue other interests. I have tried hard to ensure that his skills are not lost to the SAPS.
“He has kindly agreed to stay on until the end of this year to focus on a number of special projects.”
A senior government insider said Petros would not be lost in the fight against crime because he still had a contribution to make.
“Petros is going to the Hawks . . . Dramat has p***ed off the politicians. He’s not coming back . . . and there’s nothing major that the Hawks have achieved under him,” the insider said.
Applications for Dramat’s post close next Friday and Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa will make the appointment “in concurrence with the cabinet”.
The advertisement of the position is in line with the Constitutional Court judgment in the case brought by businessman Hugh Glenister in which he sought to have the defunct Scorpions reinstated. The Scorpions were the forerunners of the Hawks.
While the court did not reinstate the Scorpions, it found some sections of the SAPS Act to be unconstitutional.
Police spokesman Zweli Mnisi said the advertisement of the post was in compliance with the Constitutional Court ruling.
The court said the Hawks should be independent of the SAPS and should report directly to Mthethwa and not the police commissioner.
Mnisi denied that Dramat was leaving because of his conflict with his political principals.
“It has nothing to do with rumours of him clashing [with his bosses],” he said.
“The court gave us 18 months to correct [the problems] with the SAPS Act . . . so the scope of the appointment of head of Hawks also changed.
“After advertising Dramat’s post, even the provincial heads of the Hawks will follow the same process of reapplying.
“It’s just simply a legal process.”
Asked if Petros would apply for the job, Mnisi said: “Everyone is free to apply.”
The position will be at the level of deputy director-general and will be a 10-year contract.
Asked about Petros’s future plans, Gauteng police spokesman Neville Malila would only say: “I don’t know anything”.