The party alleges that senior police officials were shielded from accountability despite adverse findings by the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) and the Public Protector.
ActionSA National Chairperson Michael Beaumont said the party had been forced to pursue legal action repeatedly to obtain information relating to the matter. “We had to fight this issue in court to even get the IPID investigation from the police,” Beaumont said.
According to Beaumont, the IPID report identified eight instances where PPS members allegedly contravened South African Police Service disciplinary regulations.
After obtaining the report, ActionSA sought details of the disciplinary proceedings involving General Wally Rhoode and Constable Rethkhoto, both of whom were cleared of wrongdoing.
Beaumont criticised the outcome of those hearings, saying the records provided raised serious questions about the process. “That record of decision was a joke. It was two and four pages respectively,” Beaumont said.
Beaumont said there was no indication that witnesses had been called or that findings from IPID and the Public Protector had been properly considered. “The ultimate sham is that not one of the eight issues of misconduct identified by IPID found its way into the charge sheet,” Beaumont said.
ActionSA also claims that the classification of the IPID report as “top secret” delayed public scrutiny and accountability. “There was no legal basis to say that this document should be declared top secret,” Beaumont said.
According to Beaumont, the classification was only lifted after sustained legal pressure from the party.
Beaumont argued that the disciplinary hearings are linked to broader questions surrounding the handling of the Phala Phala burglary and the conduct of President Cyril Ramaphosa. “These individuals were operating as the President’s protection unit members, working closely with Ramaphosa, investigating this robbery without opening up a criminal docket,” Beaumont said.
Beaumont alleged that members of the PPS conducted investigations, authorised travel claims and undertook activities that benefited Ramaphosa while bypassing official procedures.
ActionSA believes a successful court challenge could lead to renewed scrutiny of the President’s role in the matter. “We need to explore the issue of how they were operating and with whose authority they were operating,” Beaumont said.
The party has argued that ongoing parliamentary processes examining the Phala Phala matter should be broadened to include the conduct of the PPS and the chain of command behind decisions taken after the burglary.
ActionSA said it will continue pursuing legal avenues to secure the records and what the party describes as accountability for all those involved in the scandal.
–ChannelAfrica–
