Crime intel boss investigated for security clearance, misuse of funds
Cape Town – The acting head of crime intelligence Major General Pat Mokushane is indeed without security clearance and is being investigated for running his own business from work.
Furthermore, he served an invalid suspension on the police officer who informed acting national police commissioner Lesetja Mothiba that he has been misled about Mokushane’s clearance, and that a brigadier who gave the order that a security clearance certificate for him be printed, did work for him even though she was appointed elsewhere.
These were some of the revelations when the police’s top brass made a presentation to the portfolio committee on police on Wednesday.
Mothiba said Liuetenant-General Jimmy Ledwaba, provincial police commissioner of Limpopo, has been appointed to investigate the allegations against Mokushane, which will be completed soon. The State Security Agency would take over the matter of his security clearance.
No clearance certificate copy
At an earlier meeting of the committee in June, Mothiba said that the vetting and polygraph process for Mokushane had been completed, but that he did not yet see a copy of Mokushane’s clearance certificate.
On Wednesday he said Mokushane’s clearance process has in fact not been completed, and that a certificate has been issued subsequent to the meeting in June, but this was done irregularly. The certificate was printed on instruction from Brigadier Leonora Bamuza-Phetlhe.
MPs were not impressed, with EFF MP Philip Mhlongo describing the whole affair as a “disgrace”.
ANC MP Livhuhani Mabija said as national police commissioner Mothiba can’t come with “daydreams” to the committee and described him as "untrustworthy".
"I would like to know when are you firing Mr Mokushane and when are you resigning yourself because you are unfit to lead the SAPS because you are very untrustworthy," Mabija said.
Head of counter and security intelligence, Major General Dumezweni Zimu said Mothiba was misled about Mokushane’s security clearance.
He also said that Mokushane issued him with a letter of suspension and prohibiting him from leaving Gauteng.
Mothiba said this letter and suspension is invalid. “The issue Mokushane wants to suspend Zimu for, he is complicit in it.”
Mothiba further said that Bamuza-Phetlhe wasn’t working in the vetting environment. “Mokushane pulled her in,” said Mothiba, who has since instructed her to return to her post.
The investigation also looks at Bamuza-Phetlhe, as well as how R50 000 ended up in her bank account.
Mokushane said he didn’t issue out an instruction to anybody.
He said “maybe out of her own initiative” did Bamuza-Phetlhe “decide to fast track this process” after hearing it raised at the previous meeting.
Mokushane said he declared his business interests each year, and he did not appoint his wife as his personal assistant.
Meanwhile, the committee chairperson said there shouldn’t be any action taken against Zimu.
