Former Sars official Johan van Loggerenberg outside the Hawks' headquarters.
Former Sars officials Ivan Pillay and Johan van Loggerenberg are inside the General Piet Joubert Building, otherwise known as the Hawk’s headquarters, while civil society waits to see what emerges.
On Thursday morning, Pillay and Van Loggerenberg arrived just before 9am to a small group of representatives from various activist organisations. Pillay, the former Sars deputy commissioner, and Van Loggerenberg, a former group executive, disappeared swiftly into the building after greeting a few members of the group who had come to show solidarity.
Corruption Watch, Right2Know, the Helen Suzman Foundation and Section 27 were just some of the civil organisations who arrived and remained on the steps of the Hawks’ offices as the two men entered. Both were summoned by the Hawks for their link to an alleged “rogue unit” within Sars that was formed during their time at the service.
But the Hawks have been blasted with criticism from activists, who believe that the order to the Sars officials and Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan are an attempt to capture the state and the treasury. The summons came after President Zuma was placed in charge of state-owned enterprises, extending the presidency’s oversight over state-owned enterprises (SOEs).
Judge Johann Kriegler, former Constitutional Court Justice Francis Antonie, director of the Helen Suzman Foundation and advocate George Bizos, an anti-apartheid icon, stood just outside the door to the Hawk’s building where they released a statement on behalf of the foundation.
“We know that, whatever the motives, the agency primarily used to pursue the campaign is the Hawks, which is headed by a man whose appointment and fitness for office are currently being challenged by the courts,” said the statement, read by Kriegler, referring to the investigation into Hawks boss Berning Ntlemeza.
When asked about the proximity of the summons to the presidency’s movement on SOEs, Antonie responded: “I would say in politics there are very few coincidences”.
Bizos meanwhile spoke of how the situation reminded him of his years of struggle against the apartheid government and resoundingly said: “We stand by the minister of finance, we hope that the people of South Africa will stand by him.”
Section 27’s Mark Heywood also spoke on behalf of the organisation, emphasising that the circumstances and the summons spoke to broad challenges in South Africa.
“This is not an issue just about Pravin Gordhan and Ivan Pillay, this is an issue about our country. This is an issue about how we fight corruption in our country,” Heywood said.
“We find it very strange that the Hawk’s are summoning people like the minister of finance and Ivan Pillay here for reasons to do with an extension of contract on the same day that the minister of transport has tried to close down an investigation at Prasa that involves billions of rands,” he added.
Gordhan released a statement yesterday and a letter from his lawyer. The minister said he had no intention to adhere to the Hawks’ orders, because they are legally baseless.
It’s unclear when Pillay and van Loggerenberg will emerge from the Hawk’s building, but those outside show no sign of leaving until they do.