Hawks head Mthandazo Ntlemeza
Major-General Berning Ntlemeza’s application to interdict Police Minister Fikile Mbalula has been struck off the roll by the high court in Pretoria.
Judge Sheila Mphahlele said the matter was not urgent and ordered Ntlemeza to pay costs for the application.
The ousted Hawks boss applied on Wednesday to interdict the minister.
Ntlemeza’s latest legal bid sought to stop Mbalula from preventing him continuing with his duties pending the outcome of his appeal against the ruling by the high court in Pretoria.
On Wednesday, Ntlemeza’s lawyers argued that his application to interdict Mbalula was urgent, as the minister’s actions were illegal.
Advocate Nceba Duduka argued that the interdict sought to stop Mbalula acting illegally, thus allowing Ntlemeza to return to his duties as Hawks boss.
This came despite the fact that the Supreme Court of Appeal would be hearing the enforcement order against Ntlemeza on June 2.
In March, the court found that then police minister Nathi Nhleko had ignored two court judgments, which found that Ntlemeza lacked integrity and honesty when he appointed him head of the elite police unit.
The court found that the findings in both judgments constituted “direct evidence” that Ntlemeza lacked the requisite honesty, integrity and conscientiousness to hold public office.
Ntlemeza applied for leave to appeal these findings, but was unsuccessful. However, he was granted leave to appeal an enforcement order which stopped him from going to work. – News24