The reports of a security breach by KwaZulu-Natal Hawks boss Maj-Gen Lesetja Senona must be condemned.
As a high-ranking official entrusted with the enforcement of law and order, Senona’s actions on Saturday not only flouted basic security protocols but also undermined the credibility of the Hawks as an institution, as he dragged other officers from the elite unit into his shenanigans.
On Sunday, Senona painted himself as a victim, unlawfully removed from his office for reasons he did not understand.
He failed to give the full facts of what truly transpired when he went to his office on a Saturday.
Last week, Senona was among five police officers fingered in the Madlanga commission’s preliminary report.
In a statement, the presidency said it welcomed the recommendations for criminal investigations, urgent decisions on prosecution and recommendations on the employment status and suspension of individuals.
Details put forward by the KwaZulu-Natal police paint a dim picture of someone who might have gone to the office for unscrupulous reasons.
According to KZN police spokesperson Col Robert Netshiunda, Senona breached several security protocols and, when approached, left without accounting for them.
According to Netshiunda, unusual events occurred at the provincial headquarters of the police in KZN.
“Maj-Gen Senona arrived at the building and chose to park on the street parking opposite the building, not at his dedicated parking space inside the building. Moments later, he was joined by another colonel, also from the Hawks in KwaZulu-Natal. The colonel left his vehicle and joined Maj-Gen Senona in his vehicle for approximately 45 minutes. Later on, Maj-Gen Senona and his secretary entered the building through the main entrance,” Netshiunda said.
He said on weekends and after regular working hours, everybody who enters the KwaZulu-Natal provincial headquarters building, regardless of rank, must sign a register.
He said Senona breached that security protocol by going through to his office without signing the register. His secretary signed, but only for herself. The colonel, who also entered the building, failed to sign the register.
Netshiunda said the unusual events of Senona coming to work on a Saturday, parking his vehicle in the street rather than in his parking bay inside the building, holding an in-car meeting with a colonel on the street, and failing to sign the mandatory register raised security concerns.
Senona’s disregard for basic security protocols raises troubling questions.
When approached by security personnel from provincial headquarters, Senona allegedly walked out with his secretary and the other officer. They were not escorted out as he claimed through his lawyer.
Senona’s disregard for basic security protocols raises troubling questions.
What was he trying to achieve with these breaches? Such actions are not minor lapses; in a security-sensitive environment like the SAPS, they constitute red flags.
These protocols exist for a reason, to ensure the safety of personnel, sensitive information and operations. By flouting them, Senona undermined the very institution he was meant to protect.
Moreover, Senona’s testimony at the Madlanga commission last week further exposed his questionable character. His tendency to hide behind claims of forgetfulness when confronted with serious allegations paints him as a dodgy operator, not a leader of integrity.
South Africans deserve leaders who are transparent, accountable and above reproach, qualities Senona has demonstrably failed to embody.
Let this serve as a reminder to all public servants that integrity and adherence to protocol are not optional; they are the bare minimum.
It’s also refreshing to see that investigations against Senona, as recommended in the preliminary report of the Madlanga commission, seem to have kicked off.
His seized gadgets, as he claims, are one step closer to getting to the bottom of what has been happening, and possibly what he was planning to do on Saturday.
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