M&G reporters
Ccrimes against the state unit: A squad of former murder and robbery unit detectives tasked with probing People against Gangsterism and Drugs (Pagad) related crimes. The unit was initially known as the Pagad task team, but later changed its name. It reports to Western Cape police Director Leonard Knipe, the man at the centre of the Deon Mostert scandal. Although the squad exists on paper it has not been formally constituted. It includes Captain Mike Barkhuizen, Captain De Vries Vermeulen, Captain Barry Chamberlain, Captain Kobus Roelofse and Captain Christiaan Theron.
Operation Good Hope: Led by Assistant Commissioner Ganief Daniels, the campaign is funded by the national government to fight urban terror. Much of its work has focused on street patrols and raids with soldiers and public order police and support at crime scenes. Although thousands of people have been arrested for various crimes ranging from theft, drug dealing and murder, it has never had the investigative capacity to probe acts of urban terrorism. This has been delegated to the Pagad investigators. It had to rely, in some instances unsuccessfully, on the co-operation of various provincial units such as police intelligence. Daniels is due to take up his promotion to area head of the Boland policing area which was announced on December 1. Plans are now under way to make Operation Good Hope a permanent structure in the office of the provincial police commissioner.
Western Cape police intelligence: Headed for most of last year by Senior Superintendent Jeremy Veary in an acting capacity, until Director Attie Trollip took over in 1999. Veary subsequently launched an internal grievance procedure as it emerged he had been the top candidate recommended for the job. Trollip, a close colleague of Knipe and former covert security branch detective, was appointed despite wide-ranging criticism he lacked intelligence background. During 1998 Veary set up a separate intelligence-driven Operation Saladin. At one stage, through close monitoring of suspects, it seemed to curb attacks. Several of Veary’s undercover operatives in Pagad were exposed by Knipe. It is an open secret that there is little love lost between the two men.
Serious violent crimes unit: Headed by Knipe. The squad presides over a string of police teams tasked with probing Pagad, taxi violence, political conflict, murders and activities in the Cape ganglands. It is understood the good relations between Knipe and the newly appointed head of detective services Assistant Commissioner Andre du Toit have recently soured as both men applied for the same job.
Peninsula murder and robbery unit: Headed by Superintendent Neville de Beer. He took over after Superintendent Grant Smith suffered a nervous breakdown following the murder of Pagad investigator Captain Bennie Lategan and an attack on his colleague Schalk Visagie. The detectives probing urban terror have been seconded from this unit, previously notorious for using unorthodox methods to obtain convictions.
Scorpions: Under direct control of National Director of Public Prosecutions Bulelani Ngcuka. The unit has now taken over investigating all the recent bomb blasts in the Cape.
National Intelligence Agency (NIA): Various agents and informants have popped up in Cape terror cases over the past year. Former Pagad Gauteng co-ordinator Ayob Mungalee revealed he was an NIA informer. Ex-Soweto flying squad policeman and now awaiting trial prisoner George Kieser, as well as Mostert have also claimed to work for the beleaguered intelligence agency.
Anti-corruption unit: Recruited police informer Mostert following his claims of police complicity in the bombings in Cape Town. The Gauteng-based unit approached National Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Jan d’Oliveira to facilitate his release from jail before starting its probe in June. The special project was headed by the Witwatersrand Director of Public Prosecutions Andre de Vries.