The new Acting Head of the Hawks, Ms Yolisa Matakata must take steps to immediately investigate several important and long neglected cases.

Specifically, the following issues, all of which were referred to the Hawks by the DA need urgent investigation:

• Minister Mahlobo for links with illegal rhino horn trading;
• The Gupta family for allegedly offering ministerial positions to amongst others, Mcebisi Jonas, Vytjie Mentor and Des Van Rooyen;
• The Gupta family for kickbacks from Transnet and Neotel contracts that they allegedly laundered through holding company Homix;
• The Minister of Mineral Resources, Mosebenzi Zwane, and the Gupta family, for the Eskom-Tegeta-Optimum Coal deal;
• The Police Minister, Fikile Mbalula, former Nelson Mandela Bay Mayor, Danny Jordaan, and others for the FIFA Bribery scandal;
• Linda Mti for awarding over R2 billion worth of tenders irregularly to Bosasa;
• Defence Minister, Nosiviwe Maphisa-Ngqakula, for smuggling a Burundian national, Michelle Wege, into the country;
• Former Energy Minister, Tina Joemat-Pettersson, for the sale of our entire strategic oil reserve by the Strategic Fuel Fund;
• Dudu Myeni for gross mismanagement of, and financial losses at SAA;
• Baleka Mbete for allegedly accepting a bribe from mining company Gold Fields.

Previous interference in the Hawks as a vehicle to carry out various political agendas cannot be allowed to persist. Indeed in the face of growing state capture across government these investigations are more pertinent now than ever.

The DA hopes that Ms Matakata will act with integrity in her new position and will prioritise the needs of South Africa by ensuring that the Hawks function as an independent organised crime-fighting unit.

The DA is also concerned by reports over the weekend that Ntlemeza is planning to ignore the law and will try to go back to work tomorrow as the Head of the Hawks. To do so would be to act with impunity, just like Hlaudi Motsoeneng.

This cannot be allowed, and Ms Matakata must ensure that Ntlemeza is barred entry into the building if he tries such a stunt. The important work of the Hawks cannot be curtailed further by any unlawful actions by Ntlemeza.

We will continue to push for an independent crime-fighting leadership that we can have full confidence in and that is not to be plagued by political interference. South Africa deserves nothing less.

 

Issued by DA