The South African Police Service (SAPS) has refuted allegations of an arrest warrant for national police commissioner, General Fannie Masemola.
The rejection follows remarks made by EFF leader Julius Malema during a briefing on Thursday that Masemola would be arrested for conspiring with Lieutenant-General Dumisani Khumalo, who was recently arrested for corruption and fraud.
“The SAPS is not aware of any arrest warrant for General Masemola. Kindly redirect your questions to Mr Malema; he may be in a better position to respond with more information,” said national spokesperson Athlenda Mathe.
Masemola’s arrest was delayed
Malema insists that the press briefing held by KwaZulu-Natal police commissioner, Lieutenant-General Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi, caused the postponement of Masemola’s alleged arrest.
He also alluded to political interference in relation to this matter.
“I do not know why he is not being picked up. It means someone somewhere is playing politics, and they want to undermine, once more, the independence of our justice system,” Malema said.
“Masemola is being arrested for what he did with Khumalo in crime intelligence. He was supposed to be arrested that week when Mkhwanazi had a press conference.
“So, I thought that Mkhwanazi’s briefing was a pre-emptive strategy, and perhaps the arrest of Masemola is delayed by that.”
High-value properties
An investigation into the unlawful acquisition of two high-value properties led to Khumalo’s arrest, but he received bail of R10 000.
The properties in question include a boutique hotel in Pretoria North, reportedly purchased for R22.7-million, and a commercial building in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, valued at R22.8-million.
Both properties were allegedly acquired without the requisite ministerial approval.
This development comes amid shocking revelations by Mkhwanazi, who alleged that a powerful criminal syndicate had infiltrated the country’s law enforcement, intelligence agencies, and even the judiciary.
Mkhwanazi also accused Police Minister Senzo Mchunu of interfering in sensitive investigations and colluding with a murder-accused businessman to disband a task team probing political killings in KwaZulu-Natal.
