Police crime intelligence boss Lieutenant-General Richard Mdluli was a “political appointment”, City Press newspaper reported on Sunday.
In an interview with the newspaper, former acting national police commissioner Tim Williams described Mdluli’s appointment process as “completely unusual” and “not regular”.
Mdluli and Colonel Nkosana Sebastian Ximba were arrested last week in connection with a murder committed 12 years ago.
Appointment process ‘hijacked’
Williams, who retired from the police in 2009, reportedly claimed Mdluli was promoted from deputy head of Gauteng earlier in 2009 after a panel of four ministers, led by Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa, hijacked the appointment process.
The others were State Security Minister Siyabonga Cwele, the then home affairs deputy minister Malusi Gigaba — now minister of public enterprises — and former safety and security deputy minister Susan Shabangu, who is now minister of mineral resources.
“The normal [appointment] process would involve the commissioner, deputy national commissioner and the deputy minister,” Williams told City Press.
Also commenting in the newspaper, Institute for Security Studies researcher Johan Burger said that if this was indeed the case, the appointment was “a clear case of political interference and a political appointment in which the normal procedures of the police were completely ignored”.
Burger is a former police officer with 36 years experience.
Also quoted in City Press, Mthethwa’s spokesperson Zweli Mnisi confirmed that a panel of four ministers made the recommendation, but said “this was not an unusual process”.
Appointment ‘based on his capabilities’
He said the Police Act did not prohibit a panel of ministers from being directly involved in the appointment process.
Mnisi denied that Mdluli’s appointment was politically motivated and said he was “solely appointed based on his capabilities to head crime intelligence and met all the terms of the appointment”.
At the time, the panel was not aware of murder allegations against Mdluli.
Oupa Ramogibe, who was killed in Vosloorus, Boksburg, in 1999, was apparently involved a love triangle with Mdluli and a woman.
At the time, Mdluli was the station commander at the Vosloorus police station, where Ximba also worked.
Last year, Mdluli apparently promoted Ximba seven ranks — from constable to colonel — in one day, according to the Sunday Times.
The newspaper reported that this promotion was now the subject of an internal investigation by the Hawks, who arrested the men for the murder of Ramogibe.
The two face charges of murder, kidnapping and defeating the ends of justice with Warrant Officer Samuel Dlomo and a fourth man, who is also a colonel. – Sapa