Acting head of the South African Police Service’s elite Hawks unit, Lieutenant-General Yolisa Matakata, on Friday said there is no warrant of arrest for former president Jacob Zuma’s son Duduzane.

“We don’t have any warrants of arrest [against Zuma junior] ... that pronouncement was never made by us. It came out of other speculations or expectations, I don’t know where it came from,” Matakata said as she addressed journalists in Pretoria.

“We have never made any pronouncements on him,” said the acting head of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation, or Hawks.

South African media had been widely reporting that Duduzane, a close ally of the controversial Gupta brothers, had fled the country with Ajay Gupta who is being sought by South African police.

Last week, the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (Hawks) raided the Saxonwold, Johannesburg, compound of the Gupta family, and arrested several suspects.

On Friday, Matakata also clarified that Ajay Gupta was being sought by the South African Police Service, on a corruption matter unrelated to the controversial Estina Farm Community Project in Vrede in the Free State province.

“There has been various sentiments and views attributed to these investigations. We respect the different views and opinions, but however, only ourselves as the Hawks who are seized with this investigation can talk with authority, and nobody else,” she said.

“I want to assure the nation that as the Hawks, we are not influenced in any way - be it politically or otherwise. All our investigations are being done competently, honestly, independently without any outside influence of any kind. We will continue to investigate these complex matters without fear or any favour.”

Matakata said the warrant of arrest against Ajay Gupta remains in force.

“At the moment, the investigation [team] is liaising with his lawyers who have written to us and we have responded accordingly,” she said.

Matakata’s remarks appeared to contradict outspoken Police Minister Fikile Mbalula who last week reportedly said Gupta was being sought for the Vrede farm matter.