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·      Illegal miners or zama zamas are offered protection within the police ·      A senior police officials advised a suspect in the murder of EFF deputy president Godrich Gardee’s daughter to run ·       Suspended Mpumalanga police commissioner, Lt General Daphney Masemola, urged to back up her allegations with proof

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Sizwe sama Yende

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A regional police commissioner in Mpumalanga has denied working in cahoots with an illegal gold mining kingpin and shielding a suspect in the brutal murder of EFF deputy leader Godrich Gardee’s daughter.

Ehlanzeni police commissioner, Major General Dora Xaba,has challenged suspended Mpumalanga provincial commissioner, Lt General Semakaleng Daphney Manamela, to back up her allegations with evidence.

“Allegations must be proven. She wanted to suspend and send me to Nkangala region,” Xaba said.

Manamela spilled the beans on April 19 during a media briefing in Mbombela where she exposed alleged corruption within the police in Mpumalanga.

She claimed that national police commissioner, General Fanie Masemola, had been hell-bent on seeing her out of her job because she was fed lies by her junior colleagues involved in various illegal activities.

Manamela said that Xaba was an associate of alleged illegal gold mining kingpin Kaizer Gwebu. “On 12 April 2024, Mr Gwebu made a confession to Mr Mziako  that the previous day a tax was paid to [Xaba] to take it to senior officers in Pretoria,” she said.

“The telephonic conversation was held between Mr Gwebu and Mr Mziako who wanted to expose corruption by Maj General Xaba. Mr Gwebu is currently on parole on cases of murder and robbery.”

Manamela said that Masemola ignored her when she informed him about Xaba. She said that part of the information she gave to Masemola was that she promoted her inexperienced allies.

Illegal gold miners have been targeting old and operational mines in Barberton and the tourists’ town of Pilgrims’ Rest. The police have been conducting raids to curb the crime.

“If there’s money deposited by illicit miners, my bank statements will indicate,” Xaba said.

HILARY GARDEE

Manamela alleged that after Gardee’s daughter, Hilary, was killed in 2022 one suspect Rassie Nkuna could not be immediately caught with the first three.

“It was during the investigation and tracing when [Nkuna] was allegedly communicating with [Xaba]. Maj General Xaba was assisting the suspect to hide and informing him that he must not communicate with anyone as she was the investigating officer of which she was lying,” Manamela said.

Nkuna was arrested in Kwa Thema, Gauteng, for a double murder at KaNyamazane. He confessed to Hilary’s murder.

Manamela said that retired deputy commissioner, Major General Botsotso Moukangwe, and Colonel Malope were not happy with the confession and the blood samples from the crime scene were transport to Pretoria via Ermelo.

“The blood is suspected to have been tempered with. As I enquired and demanded progress from [Moukangwe] he was not eager anymore to ensure the success of this matter as he was continuously [insisting] that the docket be closed as there was no case,” she said.

Xaba said that she was on leave when Hilary’s murder took place. “I only came to know Rassie Nkuna when I had come back from leave and there was a double murder case in KaNyamazane. I personally went to the scene,” she said.