Cape Town - In a dramatic twist in the suspension and court battles between Hawks chief Anwa Dramat and the Minister of Police, Nkosinathi Nhleko, the minister has asked Parliament to fire Dramat.
Nhleko was appearing before the portfolio committee on police on Thursday to explain the suspension of Dramat when he dropped the bombshell to MPs that Dramat be fired.
This is in the midst of the minister’s appeal against last week’s court decision to reinstate Dramat.
Nhleko asked the committee to axe Dramat for his conduct in the illegal renditions of Zimbabweans.
But opposition parties did not seem to be buying Nhleko’s proposal for Parliament to initiate processes to remove the head of the Hawks.
Chairman of the portfolio committee Francois Beukman asked all parties to study the minister’s request and return to the meeting later in the day.
At the meeting Nhleko said that he would not delve into the details of the suspension and the case against Dramat as the matter was before the courts.
This followed the successful application by the Helen Suzman Foundation’s application in the North Gauteng High Court last week for Nhleko to lift the suspension, but the minister has appealed the ruling.
In his plea to the committee Nhleko said he was against the illegal renditions of Zimbabweans, who subsequently died in their country due to torture by police in that country.
He said this was a human rights issue.
He called on the committee to start the process of firing Dramat.
The head of the Hawks is appointed by Parliament.
He also said there was nothing wrong in suspending Dramat last year December.
“I contend that I indeed acted within the law when I placed General Dramat on suspension on the 23rd of December,” said Nhleko.
Political parties in Parliament will have until later on Thursday to consider the minister’s request to start the process of removing Dramat, when the portfolio committee reconvenes.
Political Bureau