Johannesburg - Three more Hawks officers have been suspended for their alleged role in the illegal rendition of Zimbabweans.
Several Zimbabweans were allegedly kidnapped and deported between 2010 and 2011 without the proper extradition processes being followed.
Witness Ndeya, Shepherd Tshuma, Nelson Ndlovu and Maqhawe Sibanda were allegedly kidnapped by members of the Hawks and detained at Orlando police station in Soweto in November 2010.
They were then reportedly driven to Beit Bridge and handed over to the Zimbabwean police.
Sibanda and Ndlovu were allegedly dropped off on a freeway by officers from Orlando police station and told to run away because they would be killed in Zimbabwe.
Tshuma was released 10 days later, but Ndeya died of gunshot wounds. Tshuma skipped Zimbabwe and came back to South Africa. He was reunited with Sibanda, with whom he is now in hiding.
In other separate incidents, Pritchard Tshuma, John Nyoni and Gordon Dube were also allegedly kidnapped by the Hawks and handed over to the Zimbabwean police.
Pritchard Tshuma disappeared, while Nyoni and Dube were allegedly killed by police in Zimbabwe.
Hawks spokesman Hangwani Mulaudzi confirmed on Monday that Warrant Officer Jacob Makoe, 46, Captain Sipho Nkosi, 51, and Constable Paul Radebe, 36, had been suspended in connection with the rendition scandal.
They have been implicated in the assault, falsification of Home Affairs documentation and in the rendition itself.
The trio work for the Benoni Organised Crime Unit of the SAPS.
Two Independent Police Investigative Directorate reports recommended that they be charged for kidnapping and defeating the ends of justice.
The rendition saga recently led to the suspension of two top cops, Lieutenant-General Anwa Dramat and Major-General Shadrack Sibiya, pending a probe into their alleged involvement in the illegal rendition of the Zimbabweans.
Dramat is on special leave after the the high court ruled that his suspension was unlawful. He will remain on leave while his lawyers work out his exit strategy.
The court ruled that Dramat and Sibiya’s suspensions were unlawful and that they should return to work.
The Hawks’ acting head, Mthandazo Ntlemeza, is appealing against the court decision.
The authorities have indicated that Sibiya and Lieutenant-Colonel Leslie “Cowboy” Maluleke will appear before the disciplinary committee on Friday for their alleged role in the renditions.
The Star