Give law enforcement agencies space to work, says Government
The government has called on the public to afford law enforcement agencies space to conduct their work without disruption or interference.
The call comes after high-profile raids and seizures were conducted across Gauteng over the past 24 hours.
Members of various elite South African Police Service (SAOS) units conducted a search and seizure operation at the Centurion home of suspended Deputy National Police Commissioner Shadrack Sibiya on Thursday morning.
Cell phones, laptops, and other gadgets belonging to everyone in the house were seized.
Whilst in Sandton, Cedric Nkabinde, Chief of Staff to Police Minister Senzo Mchunu briefed the media and accused National Police Commissioner Fannie Masemola of attempting to intimidate him ahead of his planned testimony at the Madlanga Commission of Inquiry into political interference and corruption in the criminal justice system.
He said a group of 15 to 20 police officers, wearing balaclavas and carrying high-calibre rifles, showed up at his home on Wednesday evening.
"They entered my flat and they thought my brother was myself, and they demanded to search the flat without showing any warrant or any search warrant."
"When [my] brother asked them to show a search warrant, they started to assault him with the firearm's butt. They started to assault him, thinking it was me, asking about where the search warrant was because they could not show the search warrant, and then they started to search my flat upside down until my brother had to produce his identity document to show that it was not me."
Nkabinde told the media that Masemola must take the blame “if anything happens to him”.
In Sandhurst, the Special Investigating Unit (SIU) raided the house of controversial businessman Hangwani Maumela, who has been implicated in the looting of R2 billion at the Tembisa Hospital.
The upmarket property includes a car wash, salon, gym and a massage parlour.
Three luxury cars, which include Lamborghinis, were seized by the SIU officials and heavily armed police on Thursday.
Last month, the National Prosecuting Authority’s Asset Forfeiture Unit (AFU) secured two major preservation orders against members of two syndicates implicated in large-scale corruption and fraud at Tembisa Hospital.
The orders, granted by the Gauteng High Court, cover luxury homes, vehicles, and other assets valued at nearly R400 million belonging to the Hangwani Maumela syndicate.
The alleged corruption network was uncovered after Gauteng Health Department official Babita Deokaran, who was assassinated in August 2021, flagged suspicious procurement transactions at the hospital.
Meanwhile, governmental spokesperson William Baloyi says these operations fall within the normal scope of their mandate to investigate matters and recover assets.
"The public is reminded that such activities are a standard and essential part of the government’s fight against corruption, ensuring accountability and upholding the rule of law.
"Law enforcement agencies should be afforded the space to conduct their work without disruption or interference. Government is confident that law enforcement agencies will at all material times act in full compliance with the law."
Meanwhile, Masemola is expected to continue his testimony before Parliament's Ad Hoc Committee on Friday on the allegations made by KwaZulu Natal Police Commissioner Lt-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi.
Mkhwanazi accused Sibiya of colluding with information peddler Brown Mogotsi and Police Minister Senzo Mchunu to have the KZN political killings task team disbanded.
Sibiya dismissed those claims as baseless, insisting that he was being punished for doing his job.
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