Shock as Eastern Cape Hawks team is scrapped

The high-level Hawks national task team assembled in January to investigate graft in Eastern Cape municipalities has been secretly disbanded.

The team members, headed by Brigadier Mziwabo Mafalala, were told to return to their respective provinces by May 31.

Brainchild of suspended national Hawks head Lieutenant-General Berning Ntlemeza, the team made arrests of a number of fraud accused, including an ANC leader.

The decision to disband the team was made by acting Hawks national head Lieutenant-General Yolisa Matakata.

The decision has raised fears that charges against those who have been arrested, will be dropped.

A Dispatch source close to the investigations said the decision to disband the team had perplexed many officers in the province.

This was echoed by the Eastern Cape legislature’s portfolio committee chairman on safety and liaison Michael Peter.

“This is news to us. The provincial police commissioner should answer why this had happened, because fraud and corruption continue to dent the good image of government.”

An officer within the Hawks said the decision to remove the team was premature.

“As the Hawks were being labelled as a captured unit, the task team renewed the hopes that they were still fit to fight crime.

“But this disbandment brings back the fear that the police are used by powerful people for their own interests. The charges will be dropped ... watch this space,” said the source.

But another source saw nothing wrong with the disbandment, saying a number of the cases the task team had worked on belonged to the Eastern Cape Hawks’ members.

“We don’t understand why the task team is praised because they only arrived in the province on February 1 and the first arrest they made was on February 14.

“Do you think that is their success? No. These task team officers were just arresting officers or agents,” said the source.

Dispatch has seen the letter from Matakata which highlighted that the task team members should report back to their provinces.

When the task team descended on the province for their multi-million-rand fraud probe in different municipalities, former Mnquma municipal manager Sindile Tantsi, municipal official Zanele Mbewu, businessmen Regis Masuku and Sive Nombembe and ANC leader Teris Ntutu were arrested and charged with fraud.

A further 24 officials from Mnquma municipality were also questioned.

These arrests came after the Dispatch exposed allegations of corruption and fraudulent tenders awarded by Mnquma Municipality officials.

Dispatch understands that other municipalities on the Hawks’ radar were Engcobo and Ntabankulu local municipalities and Alfred Nzo and Amathole district municipalities.

In an exclusive interview with the Dispatch this week, provincial head of the Hawks Major-General Nyameko Nogwanya confirmed the task team had been disbanded.

“It has completed the task it was established for, that of being a catalyst in the existing cases to ensure finality and to draw stakeholders, such as national Treasury, closer,” Nogwanya said.

Nogwanya promised that local Hawks members would continue with the cases.

But a third source said it was a disastrous decision.

“Early last month, Matakata secretly flew to the province and met with Nogwanya to resolve what was to be ‘a disastrous decision’ to disband this same team, a decision that was taken by Nogwanya.

“She flew back to Pretoria and we had hoped that things would be fine but we were shocked to learn of the latest developments.

“The question we have is that this team is dismissed at the time Ntlemeza is suspended. We only hope that this is not a political decision,” said the source.

Contacted last month on allegations the team would be disbanded, Hawks national spokesman Brigadier Hangwani Mulaudzi said they did not comment on internal matters. — bonganif@dispatch.co.za