Lobby group AfriForum claims Fikile Mbalula is protected from prosecution by the Hawks in relation to the public protector’s findings that a sporting goods supplier funded the former sports minister’s family holiday to Dubai in 2016.
The Public Protector’s investigation follows a report in 2017 that revealed how a sporting goods supplier paid Mbalula about R680,000 for a holiday.
The report was sent to the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) to investigate whether the funds used to pay for the Dubai trip were not the result of money laundering.
Criminal charges
AfriForum then charged Mbalula with money laundering and corruption at the Brooklyn police station in 2019.
He claimed “the NPA simply ignored instructions for consideration” and Mbalula was never prosecuted.
READ ALSO: AfriForum files criminal charges against Mbalula
Letter to the police commissioner
Now, the lobby group has written a letter to the National Commissioner of the South African Police Service (Saps) General Fannie Masemola asking why Mbalula was not prosecuted.
In a letter dated February 16, 2023 and seen by citizens, AfriForum’s Gerrie Nel said the letter was a formal complaint calling for Masemola’s intervention in the actions of the Directorate of Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI) to deal with Mbalula and for his office to confirm the status of the investigation.
“The country is fully aware of the developments of the Zondo Commission on state capture and rapid intervention that led to the arrest and appearance in court of certain people, including ANC -politicians and senior civil servants, with very complex charges ranging from money laundering and racketeering.”
Strangely, the case of Mr. Fikile Mbalula, as explained above, remains a single transaction, not complicated but beyond the ability of law enforcement to resolve. As the delay continues, the reason we are submitting becomes clearer if we consider the latest promotional developments in Mr. Mbalula’s political career.
We respectfully state that Mr. Mbalula’s political rise is an undeniable realization that he is beyond the reach of the South African Police. The reverse treatment by law enforcement is supposed to be because they are ‘politically protected’, unlike other citizens of the Republic,” Nel said in a letter to Masemola.
Lack of progress
Nel said concerns and the “lack of progress and meaningful feedback” about why Mbalula was not prosecuted were also reported in several correspondence to Hawks chief Lieutenant General Godfrey Lebeya.
“On May 19, 2020, we received a response from Lieutenant General Lebeya. With respect, Lebeya’s response was rude and did not address our concerns.
Political shield
Talk to The WargaAfriForum spokesman Barry Bateman said the allegations against Mbalula were “quite simple.”
“We are still sitting with the matter, it is being kicked around and it is not resolved…So we still have the undeniable conclusion that the secretary general of the ANC is getting special treatment. He is protected because of his political status.
“Unless there’s a different explanation and the only explanation we can come up with is that there’s a political shield or the Hawks are just incompetent and can’t solve a very simple corruption case,” Bateman said. .
Ultimatum
Nel asked Masemola to take important steps to resolve and address the delay in the investigation into Mbalula and also investigate the “management of the case” by General Godfrey Lebeya.
“It is the opinion that your response or failure will not give you another option, but to find a remedy in another appropriate forum,” said Nel.
Several calls and correspondence to National Police spokesperson Lirandzu Themba and ANC national spokesperson Mahlengi Bhengu were not answered at the time of publication.
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