BREAKING: Home Affairs DG suspended

Suspended home affairs director-general Mkuseli Apleni will challenge his suspension‚ according to his lawyer.

Apleni’s suspension was announced by Home Affairs Minister Hlengiwe Mkhize on Monday afternoon.

“The Home Affairs Minister‚ Professor Hlengiwe Mkhize‚ announced that the department’s Director-General‚ Mr Mkuseli Apleni‚ has been placed on precautionary suspension as of today‚ 18 September 2017‚” a statement from the department said.

It did not give reasons for Apleni’s suspension.

Speaking to Power FM on Monday afternoon‚ Apleni’s attorney Sandile July‚ said sometime last week there was a request for Apleni to provide reasons why he should not be suspended.

July said Apleni supplied the reasons.

“He did not expect that‚ in light of the reasons provided‚ that he will be suspended‚” July said.

July said one of the allegations was that Apleni failed to amicably resolve legal disputes.

“When you say a person has failed to resolve amicably legal disputes‚ we have to ask a question ‘what legal disputes’ when Home Affairs has a lot of legal disputes”

July said Apleni would challenge his suspension on a number of grounds.

“We know all the DGs are appointed by the President. The employer is the president and not the minister.

“We are not aware of any delegation that has been given by the president to the minister to suspend. If there is such delegation‚ we would want to see it‚” July said.