The fight in the police top brass took a dramatic turn at the weekend with a public fallout between KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi and provincial Hawks head Maj-Gen Lesetja Senona.
The drama between Mkhwanazi and Senona escalated on Sunday afternoon with Mkhwanazi releasing a bizarre statement detailing his reasons for throwing Senona out of his office on Saturday. Mkhwanazi accused Senona of breaching protocol by going to his office on a weekend and not signing the register.
The public spat between the two senior South African Police Service officials has raised concerns about reputational damage to the SAPS and hampering its efforts to fight crime.
Unisa criminal expert Prof. Rudolph Zinn said what happened on Saturday was politics playing out within the police’s top ranks.
“This seems to be petty politics that is playing out again. It’s a power play that is being displayed here,” Zinn said.
“They now react like children and they don’t do what they’re supposed to do professionally.”
He said the public should be concerned because police leadership should be objective and professional at all times.
“We need to be very careful that people do not destroy the police force and government structures,” he said.
He added that the public spat could also affect police strategies to fight crime.
The news of Senona being escorted out of his office broke on Saturday, and his lawyer, Rudolph Baloyi, said his client was approached by a police officer in his office and asked to leave the premises under the instruction of Mkhwanazi.
Baloyi said the national Hawks office did not know about Mkhwanazi’s order.
Explaining Saturday’s events, police spokesperson Col Robert Netshiunda said several unusual events had unfolded, which led to Senona being evicted from the office.
“Senona arrived at the building and chose to park in the street parking opposite the building, not at his dedicated parking inside the building,” Netshiunda said.
“Moments later he was joined by another colonel, also from the Hawks in KZN. The colonel left his vehicle and joined Senona in his vehicle for approximately 45 minutes. Later, Senona and his secretary entered the building through the main entrance.”
The unusual events of Senona coming to work on a Saturday, the parking of his vehicle on the street and not at his parking bay inside the building, the unusual in-the-car meeting on the street with a colonel, and the failure to sign the mandatory register raised security concerns.
— Police spokesperson Col Robert Netshiunda
Netshiunda said Senona breached security protocol by going to his office without signing the register at the entrance. His secretary signed, but only for herself. The other colonel also entered the building and also failed to sign the register.
“The unusual events of Senona coming to work on a Saturday, the parking of his vehicle on the street and not at his parking bay inside the building, the unusual in-the-car meeting on the street with a colonel, and the failure to sign the mandatory register raised security concerns.”
As a result, Mkhwanazi’s office was informed, and it instructed the security personnel to ask Senona what he was doing in the office.
“Senona chose to leave the office and wanted to take a state computer and other documents with him,” Netshiunda said.
“He was then asked to leave all state property behind, except for his official cellphone. Senona voluntarily left the keys of his office.”
Senona’s lawyer said Senona and his secretary were escorted out of the provincial police building by several officers.
“He was also informed to never return to the office,” he said.
Baloyi said on the same day, his client was followed by several cars, including some that appeared to be from the SAPS provincial office.
“Moreover, they didn’t take anything apart from asking him to leave the work laptop. But funny enough, they let him go with his own cellphones as well as the work cellphones. So we don’t know what is happening, but the DPCI [Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation] says they don’t know anything about it. So we don’t know what must happen.
“He [Senona] did call the acting head of the Hawks, and they confirmed that they know nothing about it. But we did write them a letter today [yesterday], we just haven’t received the formal response,” Baloyi said.
On Tuesday, Senona told the Madlanga commission probing allegations of criminality, political interference and corruption in the criminal justice system that he is facing a charge of misconduct.
“I received a letter of intended transfer on January 23 as well as a notice of misconduct pending investigations emanating from the commission,” he said.
Senona is accused of sharing sensitive information with alleged criminal cartel member Vusimuzi “Cat” Matlala. The commission has found prima facie evidence against Senona and asked President Cyril Ramaphosa to refer the matter to the police for investigation.
Senona has denied the allegations levelled against him.
Sowetan
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