Suspended Hawks KZN boss vindicated

17 September 2014

The DA calls for the suspended Head of the Hawks KZN, Major General Johan Booysen, to be reinstated following a string of unsubstantiated prosecutions and an internal disciplinary hearing that all proved his innocence.

This follows reports today that he has been cleared of all charges, although the National Police Commissioner (NPC), Riah Phiyega, has yet to send him the final paperwork. In fact it seems she may be withholding it.

The Labour Court found in Booysen's favour, not once, but twice. The High Court found that the then Acting National Director of Public Prosecutions (ANDPP), Nomgcobo Jiba, did not properly apply her mind to the racketeering authorisation and in fact misled the court. Following that the SAPS launched an internal disciplinary hearing, which took longer than the entire Oscar Pistorius trial, and once again it is being reported that the Major General has not been involved in any wrong doing.

It is our hope that the SAPS have learned today that repeating the same thing over, and over again will not come up with a different result.

They arrested the Head of the Hawks KZN, Major General Johan Booysen, in August 2012, and paraded him in handcuffs before the television cameras before accusing him of multiple charges. This was shortly after his division had charged President Zuma's son's business partner, Thosan Panday. 

Panday faced two serious charges - one of which was having R2 million delivered to Major General Booysen (as witnessed and recorded by team members of the Hawks) to make the investigation go away. Yet in a bizzare twist Panday had all of the charges against him lifted, and instead the Major General was arrested.

In addition to racketeering charges, Booysen was accused of two murders, unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition, and defeating or obstructing the course of justice.

They also arrested the entire Cato Manor Serious and Violent Crimes Unit.

Two questions remain unanswered. Why was he arrested in the first place? How much has this witch hunt cost the taxpayer?

I have put questions through to the Minister of Police asking just how much this entire exercise has cost the taxpayer - in all four instances - during which he was found to have done no wrong doing. Should the South African Police Service (SAPS) be so misguided to yet again take the result on review, they must pay from their own pockets. They have milked the taxpayer far too long and far too much on this ridiculous case already.

I fully expect Major General Booysen to be immediately reinstated in his position as the KZN Head of the Hawks.

Statement issued by Dianne Kohler Barnard MP, DA Shadow Minister of Police, September 17 2014

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