The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) has confirmed that it received a formal complaint from City of Johannesburg mayor Herman Mashaba about Hawks boss Berning Ntlemeza.
“Yesterday‚ the management of the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) met with the Mayor of the City of Johannesburg‚ Councillor Herman Mashaba and his team‚ at the 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.
“The 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 investigate‚ where it has a mandate. Once the requested information has been received and analysed‚ the IPID will then take a decision with regard to investigation‚” said Ipid spokesman Moses Dlamini.
Mashaba said Ntlemeza had interfered with criminal investigations reported by the City of Johannesburg.
TMG Digital can reveal that they include several cases before the Hawks which have stalled. One of the cases involves fraud and corruption implicating 105 city officials and losses to the city amounting to R14.7 million.
In the cases‚ the eNatis vehicle management system was allegedly manipulated by corrupt officials at JMPD Licensing Centres‚ enabling unlicensed vehicles to be registered without the payment of outstanding licence fees and penalties by the owners. So far‚ only 19 people have been arrested. An additional 14 warrants of arrest were issued but not acted upon‚ without any explanation.
Mashaba said Ntlemeza’s interference included “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.”
“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 Joburg‚” he said.
Mashaba 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 number one and we have done everything in our power to root corruption out of 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.
UPDATE: Mashaba accuses Hawks boss of interfering in investigations into vehicle licensing fiddle
The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) has confirmed that it received a formal complaint from City of Johannesburg mayor Herman Mashaba about Hawks boss Berning Ntlemeza.
“Yesterday‚ the management of the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) met with the Mayor of the City of Johannesburg‚ Councillor Herman Mashaba and his team‚ at the 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.
“The 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 investigate‚ where it has a mandate. Once the requested information has been received and analysed‚ the IPID will then take a decision with regard to investigation‚” said Ipid spokesman Moses Dlamini.
Mashaba said Ntlemeza had interfered with criminal investigations reported by the City of Johannesburg.
TMG Digital can reveal that they include several cases before the Hawks which have stalled. One of the cases involves fraud and corruption implicating 105 city officials and losses to the city amounting to R14.7 million.
In the cases‚ the eNatis vehicle management system was allegedly manipulated by corrupt officials at JMPD Licensing Centres‚ enabling unlicensed vehicles to be registered without the payment of outstanding licence fees and penalties by the owners. So far‚ only 19 people have been arrested. An additional 14 warrants of arrest were issued but not acted upon‚ without any explanation.
Mashaba said Ntlemeza’s interference included “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.”
“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 Joburg‚” he said.
Mashaba 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 number one and we have done everything in our power to root corruption out of 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.
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