Hawks boss sent packing
Ntlemeza told to vacate post within 24 hours
EMBATTLED Hawks’ boss General Berning Ntlemeza’s time as head of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI) has drawn to an end, after he was asked to vacate his office yesterday.
Yesterday, Acting National Commissioner Lieutenant-General Khomotso Phahlane served him with a letter demanding that he vacate his post and office within 24 hours.
“Due to Minister Fikile Mbalula not going ahead with the appeal that was launched by former minister Nathi Nhleko, the general’s head was left on the block,” said a source in the police department.
Ntlemeza’s dismissal is expected to be announced today.
“Phahlane served him with a letter to vacate the offices of the DPCI within 24 hours. As we speak, the general is gone,” the source said.
This fuelled speculations that today’s meeting with Hawks’ top management will not only be centred around his decision to withdraw the appeal, but also to discuss the appointment of an acting or new head of the division.
Hawks spokesperson Brigadier Hangwani Mulaudzi said he could not comment on the matter.
Asked whether the Hawks would still be pursuing a case of fraud against former minister of finance Pravin Gordhan in light of Mbalula’s appeal withdrawal, Mulaudzi said: “Operations at the Hawks will continue. Nothing is going to stop and we will deal with cases that we need to deal with because it would be a travesty to justice if we did not,” he said.
Mbalula decided to withdraw an appeal that effectively insulated Ntlemeza from losing his job as head of Hawks, while Ntlemeza was yesterday arguing in court to have the judgment which set aside his appointment overruled.
Ntlemeza assumed office at the helm of the Hawks after former police minister Nathi Nhleko appointed him in 2014.
However, civic organisations, the Helen Suzman Foundation and Freedom Under Law approached the courts last year to have the appointment declared invalid, but failed in their bid.
The organisations approached the high court in Pretoria, arguing that the position Ntlemeza occupied required an incumbent with integrity and honesty, which Ntlemeza was devoid of.
In 2015, high court Judge Elias Matojane said in his judgment that Ntlemeza was “dishonest, lacking integrity and dishonourable” after he tried to mislead the court.
Mbalula recently said he would need to be briefed on court cases involving Ntlemeza as he was not in the business of dragging out matters through the courts.
During a briefing in which Phahlane officially welcomed Mbalula, the latter said: “I’m not intending to allow this issue to drag on and on, in a case that’s clearly not winnable in the court of law.”
He added that he wanted to focus his attention on crime fighting. “I’m not in the business of fighting such cases. My interest is to get down, knuckle down and fight and get the police force on board in relation to that.”