Parliament must now act against Ntlemeza: DA

24 April 2017 - 17:16 By Tmg Digital
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Hawks boss Major-General Bernard Ntlemeza.
Hawks boss Major-General Bernard Ntlemeza.
Image: Gallo Images / Beeld / Felix Dlangamandla

The Democratic Alliance says that Parliament must now act against dismissed Hawks boss Berning Ntlemeza after he pitched for work on Monday morning despite his appointment having been found unlawful and invalid by a court.

DA spokesman on police matters Zakhele Mbhele said the DA was at the present at the Hawks head office on Monday when it was reliably informed that Ntlemeza had snuck into the building through the back-door.

“While the current court proceedings take their course‚ it is imperative that Parliament now take action and investigate Ntlemeza’s fitness to hold office.

“The DA has thus written to the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Police‚ Francois Beukman‚ to call an urgent meeting of the committee‚ to enable Parliament to exercise its power in terms of section 17DA of the South African Police Services (SAPS) Act to institute proceedings to investigate Ntlemeza’s fitness to hold office.

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“Specifically‚ in terms of section 17DA(3) of the SAPS Act‚ Ntlemeza can be permanently removed by a finding of the committee on his misconduct‚ incapacity or incompetence‚ no matter the result of Ntlemeza’s Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA) appeal‚” Mbhele said.

As soon as the committee acceded to the DA’s request and initiated an inquiry‚ as the DA strongly believed it should‚ Police Minister Fikile Mbalula would then be empowered to immediately suspend Ntlemeza‚ Mbhele added.

He said this committee inquiry would not be a parallel process to the Supreme Court of Appeals (SCA) hearing on Ntlemeza’s appeal nor would it be sub judice‚ as the substance of the two matters were entirely different.

The Helen Suzman Foundation’s (HSF) case revolved around the irrationality of Ntlemeza’s appointment by the Minister of Police‚ while a DA-initiated Parliamentary inquiry would investigate Ntlemeza’s current fitness to hold office‚ Mbhele added.

“While Ntlemeza’s invalidation of appointment as a result of the HSF case is now on hold as a result of his SCA appeal‚ a Parliamentary enquiry would allow the Minister to immediately suspend Ntlemeza regardless of the SCA appeal.

“Parliament must exercise its oversight function immediately. It is clear that Ntlemeza is unfit for the job of heading up the Hawks – he has made this blatantly obvious on several occasions.”

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