Lieutenant General Samson Shitlabane, the head of the presidential protection service has been removed following two incidents that allegedly undermined the security of President Cyril Ramaphosa.
According to a Sunday Times report, Shitlabane, who has since been transferred to another policing unit, challenged internal security.
Ramaphosa’s security was allegedly first “compromised” during the Nasrec elective conference of the African National Congress (ANC) last December.
The newspaper also reported last month that a fight between members of the senior protection service ended with accusations of intimidation against the commander of the counter-attack team, Brigadier Mbulelo Mbiko by Lieutenant Colonel Chantal Sias, who was leading the presidential convoy.
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The security of the president is now in the hands of Major General Wally Rhoode, accused of mishandling the Phala Phala farm robbery case.
‘Two separate security lists’
Escalating infighting among top police saw Shitlabane left out of the president’s security plans around the State of the Nation Address (Sona) in Cape Town last week.
There are two lists of officials assigned to guard the president and VIPs at Nasrec and for Sona – one compiled by Rhoode and the other by Shitlabane, according to the report.
The two groups were spread across the board. At Nasrec, more than 40 protection officers are involved.
Sources cited by Sunday Times said Shitlabane was transferred “because there is concern that he has started to remove some basic things that are part of the minimum protection of the president, causing suspicion.”
“That also includes the fact that they don’t want Wally [Rhoode] to go to Nasrec, but went there by force.
“There have been threats detected against the president by armed men pretending to be part of the security detail of some ANC leaders going to Nasrec.”
This prompted Rhoode to form a contingency convoy team for Ramaphosa and Deputy President David Mabuza.
This led to a stand-off with Mbiko as the team was not on the task list of the original SAPS operational plan, the publication reported.
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