Former acting national police commissioner Khomotso Phahlane told members of the ad hoc committee that political interference in the criminal justice system became more prevalent post the ANC Polokwane conference in 2007.
During the Polokwane conference, former president Jacob Zuma was elecetd president of the party. Phahlane said after the conference, more senior police officials with Struggle credentials started to show their loyalty to political formations and their leaders.
Phahlane started by commending KwaZulu-Natal commissioner Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, who in July held a media briefing where he accused politicians of interfering with police operations.
In his evidence about the alleged political interference, Phahlane spoke about his tenure as divisional commissioner of crime intelligence.
“I was privy to the struggles of assistant commissioner Mulangi Mphego in warding off unfettered access to the secret services account [slush fund], which he grieved about. Mphego, as a consequence of being unfairly prejudiced, prematurely exited the SAPS,” he said.
I was privy to the struggles of assistant commissioner Mulangi Mphego in warding off unfettered access to the secret services account [slush fund], which he grieved about.
— Khomotso Phahlane, Former acting national police commissioner
Phahlane also said when Mphego was interviewed for the assistant commissioner post, he was questioned with some “underlying political undertones”.
He said that during the process of filling the vacant post of the divisional head of crime intelligence, he found himself in the midst of a political storm of note.
“The acting national commissioner, Tim Williams, had called me, as the custodian of human resource policies and practices, to discuss the challenges he was confronted with as the accounting officer.
“Williams expressed his unwillingness to be a participant in the process which was dictated to him by the late former minister of police, Nathi Mthethwa, who insisted on establishing and chairing a panel to process the shortlisting, interviewing, selection of filling of the post of the divisional commissioner of crime intelligence,” Phahlane said, adding that it is in contrary with SAPS regulatory.
In his evidence before the ad hoc committee last year, Mkwanazi said he witnessed the worst political interference during Mthethwa’s tenure.
Earlier in the day, Phahlane told the committee that he also faced political interference when he was dismissed by former police minister Fikile Mbalula. He said that the decision was irrational and unlawful.
“I was the guinea pig for the step-aside policy because it was applied only to me, for whatever reasons,” he said.
Phahlane also distanced himself from the R24m paid by the SAPS for goods that were never delivered.
The SAPS in 2014 got into a tender with Ethemba forensic group for 360 panoramic cameras, and Phahlane said these cameras were never delivered.
Phahlane said there was a dispute coming from the forensic department that they would not be able to perform their duties with those cameras.
Ethemba Group then took the matter to arbitrators as SAPS was not honouring their part of the agreement. The SAPS failed to respond to why they had not honoured the tender.
The SAPS was then ordered to pay a R24m settlement. During the ad hoc committee, Phahlane distanced himself from the payment.
“The payment was settled by Gen [Khehla] Sitole in 2018 and 2019 while I was at home,” he said
Phahlane told the ad hoc committee that these are among the reasons he was unlawfully fired by Mbalula.
He added that he has taken the decision of his removal to the labour appeals court and the court is expected to hand out a ruling this week or next week.
Sowetan
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