Pretoria - The Helen Suzman Foundation on Monday applied to the High Court in Pretoria for an enforcement order on the court's ruling regarding the suspension of Hawks head Anwa Dramat.
“If the high court grants such enforcement order, the high court order would be enforced regardless of any appeal,” said HSF director Francis Antonie in a statement.
Dramat was set to return to work on Friday, after the High Court in Pretoria ruled his suspension by Police Minister Nkosinathi Nhleko was unlawful and invalid.
Nhleko then announced he would appeal Judge Bill Prinsloo's ruling. This meant the high court's ruling would be suspended pending the outcome of the appeal.
Prinsloo also ruled that Nhleko's decision to appoint Maj-Gen Berning Ntlemeza as acting national Hawks head was unlawful and invalid.
Dramat was suspended on December 23, pending a probe into his alleged involvement in the illegal rendition of four Zimbabweans in November 2010.
On Monday, Antonie said the HSF had also sought the Constitutional Court's intervention.
“The purpose of the direct access application is to obtain a final determination by the highest court in the country on the crisp legal issues raised in this matter, as any further delay occasioned by an appeals process (or multiple appeals processes) and the hearing of the Rule 49(11) application will... do irreparable harm to the institution and work of the Hawks.
“It is imperative that there is legal certainty on the narrow but fundamental issues raised in this matter,” said Antonie.
Sapa