Durban - The Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) on Monday called on KwaZulu-Natal’s Premier Senzo Mchunu and the province’s Transport, Community Safety, and Liaison MEC Willies Mchunu to explain why the contract of the province’s top police officer was renewed.
The IFP’s national chairman Blessed Gwala said in a statement that it welcomed reports that police commissioner Lieutenant-General Mmamonnye Ngobeni had been served with a notice of suspension.
He said that the party had questioned Ngobeni’s fitness to hold office in light of allegations that she had a corrupt relationship with businessman Toshan Panday and that she had failed to investigate a senior police officer over allegations of financial irregularities and alleged bribery.
“When her contract had expired in October 2015 and she was still in office, we questioned Premier Senzo Mchunu during a sitting of the provincial legislature about her status, but he failed to provide an explanation. Soon thereafter her contract was covertly renewed,” said Gwala.
“Even now the Premier and the MEC for Community Safety & Liaison, Willis Mchunu are reported as being not in a position to speak on such a matter. When two of the most senior members of the KZN government cannot come clean and tell the citizens what is going on, then we must assume that something is certainly rotten in the provincial police department.”
The Sunday Independent reported that national police minister Nathi Nhleko had written to both Senzo Mchunu and Willies Mchunu informing them that national police commissioner Lieutenant-General Khomotso Phahlane had served Ngobeni with a notice of suspension, pending the finalisation of the board.
The weekly reported the letter said Phahlane took the decision after receiving a report from the Independent Investigative Directorate (Ipid) relating to alleged systematic corruption cases in KZN.
“The provincial commissioner, KwaZulu-Natal as well as other officers are implicated in the said corruption,” said part of the letter.
Ngobeni, has previously been accused of interfering in the investigation that led to the suspension of KwaZulu-Natal Hawks boss Johan Booysen. She has been fingered in a R60m tender for police accommodation that Panday was awarded.
It has also been previously reported that her husband’s birthday party was paid for by Panday, although Ngobeni has claimed that she paid Panday to organise the birthday party.
Nhleko’s spokesman Musa Zondi said he was unable to confirm that the police minister wrote letter to provincial bosses informing them that Ngobeni had been served with a suspension notice. Zondi referred inquiries in that regard to Pahlane’s office.
However, Ndabezinhle Sibiya, spokesman for the KwaZulu-Natal premier, referred all queries back to Zondi.
Sipho Khumalo, spokesman for Willies Mchunu said: “We think all queries should be directed to the national commissioner’s [Pahlane’s] office.”
National police spokesman Brigadier Hangwani Mulaudzi on Monday declined to confirm or deny Ngobeni faced suspension.
“It’s an internal matter. No comment,” he said by cell phone text message, when asked to confirm reports that had appeared in the weekend newspapers over the suspension.
Ngobeni did not answer her cell phone on Monday morning.
“We still demand to know on what grounds and with what justification was Ngobeni’s contract renewed in view of all the accusations of dubious activities hanging over her head,” said Gwala.
African News Agency