Suspended Hawks head Anwa Dramat has been placed on leave, the Police Ministry has confirmed.

This follows an agreement reached with Police Minister Nathi Nhleko.

The lawyers for the two sides are in negotiations regarding a final resolution.

“There are negotiations between his lawyers and our lawyers on the possible terms of agreement for his exit from the service,” said Nhleko's spokesperson, Musa Zondi.

Zondi said the Minister had indicated that he would like to see this conversation between the lawyers concluded by the end of this week if possible, but that will be guided by the availability of lawyers from both sides.

Last month, Nhleko approached the Parliamentary Portfolio Committee, which exercises oversight on police, to initiate processes to remove Dramat, citing a report presented to him alleging the Hawks’ involvement in the smuggling of Zimbabwean nationals out of the country before torturing and killing them.

The Minister had said he needed to order an inquiry to get to the bottom of the allegations, as crimes allegedly committed against the Zimbabwean nationals were human rights violations.

However, last week, the High Court in Pretoria ruled that Dramat return to work irrespective of any other appeal that may be brought by the Minister.

The court had ruled that the Minister was not entitled to suspend the Hawks head based on a Constitutional Court ruling that struck off a section of the South African Police Service Act.