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·      Suspended Mpumalanga police commissioner accuses deputy of links to criminal networks ·      National police commissioner, Fanie Masemola, allegedly accepted R5m bribe to keep Mpumalanga commissioner out of her job ·      Provincial Task Team was disbanded to protect criminals

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Sizwe sama Yende

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A retired senior Mpumalanga police officer has been fingered as a kingpin of squashing serious cases against criminals.

Former deputy provincial commissioner, Major-General Botsotso Moukangwe, also allegedly confessed that he and national commissioner, General Fanie Masemola, accepted a R5 million bribe from businessman and Kaizer Chiefs manager, Bobby Motaung, to ensure that his suspended boss, Lt General Semakaleng Daphney Masemola, was kept out of her job for good.

Moukangwe did not answer his three phones or respond to questions sent via WhatsApp.

Manamela has been fighting to reclaim her job since 2022 when Masemola first suspended her on allegations based on an unsolicited investigation conducted by her predecessor Lt General Thulani Ntobela’s forensic investigations company.

Masemola tasked Lieutenant General Sello Kwena to conduct an analysis of The iFirm Trading and Projects’ report to prove its veracity and found nothing that linked Manamela to any wrongdoing.

He reinstated Manamela but, shortly thereafter, suspended her again on allegations of unauthorised installation of a closed circuit CCTV surveillance system, abuse of position, use of obscene and profane language and unauthorised use of state escort vehicles.

This matter is still before court.

DISBANDMENT OF PROVINCIAL TASK TEAM

Manamela, whose contract expires in two months, came out guns blazing on April 19 and exposed alleged rot in Mpumalanga police.

She accused Moukangwe of allegedly dismantling the provincial task team she established whenever Masemola put her on suspension.

The team was tasked with busting political killings, ATM bombings, illegal mining, human trafficking among many serious crimes.

Manamela alleged that Moukangwe took all the dockets handled by the task team on her first suspension, resulting in some of the cases being withdrawn in court.

She said that she re-assembled the team on her return to work on March 27 2023, but Moukangwe disbanded it again when Masemola suspended her in June 2024 for the second time.

“Prior to my suspension, there were many dockets which were not accounted for in Moukangwe’s office. When I demanded progress and enforced accountability, Moukangwe was among those complaining to [Masemola] about me and to that effect my powers to discipline senior officers were taken,” Manamela said.

“It was Maj General Moukangwe’s idea to convince the national commissioner in making sure that [I do not] return to work as they would be arrested. The agreement weas reached in exchange for R5 million to protect criminality.”

INTERFERENCE

Manamela alleged that Moukangwe:

·       Replaced an investigation officer on cases against former Delmas Local Municipality speaker, Khaya Segone, and four others charged with attempted murder, robbery, and malicious damage to property in 2020. A magistrate released the four on bail as the magistrate allegedly feared for his life, and a warrant of arrest was never executed after the National Prosecuting Authority successfully appealed to revoke the bail.

·       Kept 19 dockets under his name since 2009, and those dockets were re-assigned to other investigators only after his retirement. The dockets were of murder, attempted murder, possession of unlicenced firearm, truck hijacking, fraud, and farm murder.

·      Allegedly instructed police in Middelburg to cancel a stolen vehicle case after retiring on March 31 this year.

“Dockets are assigned to various members who are in the criminal network syndicate and close to [Moukangwe] to manage their movement in the system without being taken to court. Again, protecting criminals,” Manamela said.