The Hawks on Thursday challenged the Communists to prove that Lieutenant-General Mthandazo Ntlemeza’s “stewardship…reflects politically motivated‚ factional and private agendas”.“The office of the National Head of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI) has read with shock and disappointment the malicious accusations contained in a statement issued by the South African Communist Party (SACP) labelled against Lieutenant-General Mthandazo Ntlemeza‚” spokesperson Brigadier Hangwani Mulaudzi said.This came after the “SACP alleged in a statement that has a ‘new mandate’ which they claimed was to harass SACP members”.“The party also claimed that they overhead Lieutenant-General Ntlemeza telling a ‘third party’ that the Hawks would target Madoda Sambatha of North West‚” he added.“We are challenging the SACP to open a case and present their evidence in court.“In case the SACP had not heard the office of the DPCI Judge is fully functional”‚ added Mulaudzi‚ before giving the judge’s office contact details.“Reporting such malicious accusations to the relevant office‚ Judge Essa Moosa‚ would have at the very least attempt to dignify their utterances than running to the media in a bid to derail the National Head of the Hawks from executing his duties without fear‚ favour or prejudice.The media statement concluded: “The Hawks do not investigate cases through the media and will at no point engage the SACP or anybody else on the individuals we are investigating.”The SACP had claimed that Ntlemeza was discussing “the agenda with a third person‚ without realising that seated an arm’s length from him was a leader of an organ of the SACP who overheard the discussion from where it was held”.“The conduct of the Hawks under Ntlemeza’s stewardship is increasingly leaving much to be desired‚ and indeed reflects politically motivated‚ factional and private agendas‚” a party statement claimed.“Cloning such agendas as if they were the law taking its course‚ and therefore abusing state power to pursue them‚ is completely unacceptable.”The statement said the action was reminiscent of apartheid‚ under which “state machinery was used to target freedom fighters”‚ and added: “It is in the same context that the stalwart of our liberation struggle‚ Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan who has become a barrier against the looting of public resources‚ is visibly being isolated and targeted”.Sambatha is the SACP’s provincial secretary. - TMG Digital..