Statement on the appointment of the Hawks head declared irrational, unlawful and invalid

17 March 2017

The South African Communist Party (SACP) welcomes today’s North Gauteng High Court judgement that the appointment of Berning Ntlemeza as the head of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI), also known as the Hawks, was “irrational and unlawful” and therefore invalid.

The SACP has consistently expressed serious concern about the conduct of the Hawks under Ntlemeza’s stewardship. In this regard, the SACP formally approached the Office of the DPCI Judge Complaints Unit. The removal of Ntlemeza must now be accompanied, starting with proper appointment of a competent new Hawks head, by a radical change of culture in the DPCI which has embroiled itself irregularly in ANC factional work.

Statement issued by the SACP, 17 March 2017