Inside Politics Reporter
Democratic Alliance MP Dianne Kohler Barnard has accused senior police figures of targeting independent watchdogs after President Cyril Ramaphosa this week suspended the Inspector-General of Intelligence (IGI), Imtiaz Fazel.
Kohler Barnard said that oversight bodies probing National Police Commissioner General Fannie Masemola, and KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, were being systematically “attacked” and “discredited”.
Ramaphosa’s office confirmed on Thursday that Fazel had been suspended pending a parliamentary investigation by the Joint Standing Committee on Intelligence (JSCI) into “complaints about his conduct”.
The decision comes amid ongoing investigations into corruption and political interference in the country’s policing and intelligence agencies.
The Madlanga Commission and a parliamentary ad hoc committee are both investigating claims that criminal networks and political interests have captured law-enforcement institutions.
Kohler Barnard said the timing of Fazel’s suspension “raises serious and alarming questions”.
“Every credible person or entity such as IDAC (Investigating Directorate Against Corruption), the IGI and IPID (Independent Police Investigative Directorate) tasked with investigating the conduct of the National Commissioner of Police and the KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Commissioner finds themselves under attack and discredited.
“This is more than a coincidence; it has all the hallmarks of a coordinated strategy to disable accountability mechanisms. When those who are meant to root out corruption become the targets of complaints and suspensions, it is clear there is far more to this situation than meets the eye,” she said.
Mkhwanazi kicked a hornet’s nest at a press briefing on 6 July, where he accused senior police officers and politicians, including now suspended police minister Senzo Mchunu, of underworld ties. He also accused Mchunu of political interference in operational police matters by trying to disband the Political Killings Task Team (PKTT).
His allegations led Ramaphosa to establish the Madlanga Commission, tasked with probing systemic corruption and interference in policing, intelligence and the judiciary.
At the same time, parliament set up an ad hoc committee to investigate Mkhwanazi’s claims.
In September, while testifying before the Madlanga Commission, Mkhwanazi said that the office of the IGI was investigating two controversial multi-million rand property purchases by Crime Intelligence, purchased from its secret fund, as a pretext to undermine investigations into a Gauteng drug cartel that had political connections.
Fazel told News24 the allegations were “ridiculous” and he would appear before the commission to respond. The publication reported that Fazel recommended criminal and disciplinary charges against Masemola for approving the property purchases, and other secret fund expenses.
While testifying before the commission and the ad hoc committee, Mkhwanazi accused Kohler Barnard of “leaking” classified intelligence information (the property purchases, which were active safe houses), and, in so doing, compromising the security of police investigations.
Kohler Barnard has denied the allegations and said she will appear before the commission and the committee to respond.
INSIDE POLITICS