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Port Elizabeth – The South African Communist Party and the Police, Prisons and Civil Rights Union (Popcru) have both condemned the recent confiscation of dockets from a top Eastern Cape Hawks detective who has been involved in a number of key criminal investigations in the province.
The case dockets were taken from Captain Luphumlo Lwana, a detective in the Hawks's commercial crimes unit by its national head Major-General Alfred Khana last week.
The dockets are believed to include high-profile court cases implicating powerful figures and politicians.
Popcru have expressed outrage at the raid on Lwana’s offices, claiming that Khana’s actions were politically motivated.
Popcru provincial secretary Zamikhaya Skade launched a scathing attack on the Hawks management, alleging that some high-profile cases involving politicians may be thrown out of court as a result.
The SACP also slammed the move, saying they refused to believe it had been motivated by service delivery concerns, as was said at the time.
“We view it as the continuation of the abuse of state apparatus in general and state security forces to resolve political questions. It is one of the clear cases of the political manipulation and blatant abuse of power which we rejected during the time of the scorpions,” said SACP provincial spokesperson Siyabonga Mdodi.
“We are not going to accept it now because it is the Hawks nor will we accept it tomorrow when and if these unethical conducts are committed under another name or in favour of a certain corrupt political cartel,” Mdodi said.
Not a raid
However, Hawks national spokesperson Brigadier Hangwani Mulaudzi denied the move was politically motivated.
Mulaudzi confirmed that the dockets had been removed.
“This is being politicised, to call a request to hand over files where cases have become stagnant is a far cry from kicking down doors and raiding offices,” he said.
Mulaudzi said the national office had received representations regarding certain cases which had become stagnant, as well as concerns regarding Lwana’s actions and had been following up on those representations.
“Those who are complaining should be happy that these stagnant cases are being reviewed," he said.
