The Inkatha Freedom Party in KwaZulu-Natal welcomes recent reports that KZN Police Commissioner, Mmamonnye Ngobeni has been served with a letter of suspension.
“For the past two years we have been questioning the competence and integrity of Commissioner Ngobeni but our concerns fell on deaf ears. We could see that she was not fit for the job on many levels as there were numerous allegations of corrupt activities to which she was linked. Her relationship with businessman Thoshan Panday as well as her failure to order an investigation into the activities of Colonel Madhoe who was arrested on bribery and financial irregularities charges, were clear signs that she herself could be implicated in corrupt activities. When her contract had expired in October 2015 and she was still in office, we questioned Premier Senzo Mchunu during a sitting of the provincial legislature about her status but he failed to provide an explanation. Soon thereafter her contract was covertly renewed and the Premier did not reveal this in the House. We wonder whether the Premier is hiding certain things from the people of this province. Even now the Premier and the MEC for Community Safety & Liaison, Willis Mchunu are reported as being not in a position to speak on such a matter. When two of the most senior members of the KZN government cannot come clean and tell the citizens what is going on, then we must assume that something is certainly rotten in the provincial police department”, said IFP National Chairman and KZN Spokesperson on Community Safety, Hon Blessed Gwala MPL.
“We still demand to know on what grounds and with what justification was Ngobeni’s contract renewed in view of all the accusations of dubious activities hanging over her head. When someone occupying the position of a provincial commissioner is seen to be lacking in leadership and is suspected of being involved in corrupt activities, it is no wonder that public confidence in the police has taken a dive. For a long time we as the IFP have been calling for Ngobeni to be removed as police commissioner. Our wisdom was ignored in the past but our calls have now been justified. We hope that morale amongst police personnel, which is at an all-time low because of weak leadership and a lack of respect and discipline, will now improve. We call on IPID to fully investigate all the allegations against Ngobeni and others linked to corrupt activities in the provincial police department”, concluded Hon Gwala.
