Publications
- Deputy national police commissioner Bonang Mngwenya has been suspended.
- Mngwenya was suspended effective from Wednesday following allegations of alleged crimes.
- National commissioner Khehla Sitole said: "SAPS is suffering a severe wound in the form of corruption."
Top cop Lieutenant General Bonang Mgwenya, who was arrested during a pre-dawn raid on Monday, has been suspended.
Mgwenya was served with the letter on Wednesday.
On Monday, after her arrest and court appearance, SAPS sent her a letter notifying her of its intention to suspend or temporarily transfer her in terms of the police disciplinary regulations.
On Wednesday morning, national police commissioner General Khehla John Sitole took the decision to officially suspend her, effective from 15 October 2020.
"The SAPS is suffering a severe wound in the form of corruption. But, as we continue to clean our ranks, the scar of it will remind us that we should never suffer such a wound again," said Sitole in a statement.
On Tuesday, before Mgwenya was made aware of her suspension, Sitole sent out a letter to all the commissioners informing them that she "will be out of office until further notice".
The deputy national police commissioner was arrested on Monday morning, and is "Accused Number 15" in a case also involving former acting national commissioner Khomotso Phahlane and former Gauteng provincial commissioner Deliwe de Lange, among other generals and senior officers.
She faces charges of corruption, fraud and money laundering for her alleged role in ensuring the contract to supply emergency warning equipment for SAPS in 2017 went to Instrumentation for Traffic Law Enforcement (Pty) Ltd, while she enjoyed an undisclosed close relationship with the company's owner, according to the NPA's Investigating Directorate.
"The contract price and exposure to the police fiscus was R191 million. However, R65 million was paid to the service provider, Instrumentation for Traffic Law Enforcement (Pty) Ltd. The payment of R22 million was stopped at the advanced stage of the Investigating Directorate's probe into the matter," Investigating Directorate spokesperson Sindisiwe Twala said in a statement on Monday.
Meanwhile, Sitole has also dismissed another Lieutenant General for her alleged involvement in corruption dating back to 2015.
Spokesperson Brigadier Vish Naidoo said details of the case would be provided at a later stage.
"This latest dismissal highlights the national commissioner's determination and resolve in rooting out corruption from within the SAPS," Naidoo said.
